WMUMtOWBMWlHh 


mtwwuwwTwiiiMwiliw 


WORDS  SPOKEN 
Mm  WRITTEN 


K 


BOOKTWO 


■Hiwxrnriii'  i''iifr'rci  iii  it '"""nj 


Ki'l 


EMERSON  &  BENDER  f|L| 

■I    III  I    II-       -  ■      ■  M^afc«iM.^.i^««i..« ■i«*iiii> iii«MiwMrtiMi>f7Hini  ■fffr-fttfT1-|finu  r      It  .'.I 


numiiimi.muftiuaiiiiuujiwiiani 


^11 


v> 


WORDS   SPOKEN  AND   WRITTEN 


THE  MACMILLAN  COMPANY 

NEW  YORK   •    BOSTON  •    CHICAGO 
ATLANTA  •    SAN   FRANCISCO 

MACMILLAN  &  CO.,  Limited 

LONDON  •  BOMBAY  •  CALCUTTA 
MELBOURNE 

THE  MACMILLAN  CO.  OF  CANADA,  Ltd. 

TORONTO 


The  Geese  of  the  Capitol. 


WORDS  SPOKEN  AND  WRITTEN 

A  COURSE  IN  MODERN  ENGLISH 
BOOK  II 

LESSONS    IN    LANGUAGE,    LITERATURE, 
AND   COMPOSITION 


BY 
HENRY   P.    EMERSON 

SUPERINTENDENT    OF    EDUCATION,    BUFFALO,    N.Y. 
AND 

IDA    C.    BENDER 

SUPERVISOR    OF    PRIMARY    GRADES,    BUFFALO,    N.T. 


Neto  gctJt:  \-.\  \  \/        ',  )  \' 
THE   MACMILLAN,  COMPAl^Y:.  :  j  .', 


1908 

All  rights  reserved 


Copyright,  1908, 
By  the  MACMILLAN  COMPANY. 


Set  up  and  electrotyped.    Published  August,  1908. 

EDUCATION  DBP^ 


J-  34<iu*ifg'Cp.  -^  Berwick  &  Smith  Co. 
NorwoocT,  Mass.,  U.S.A. 


PREFACE 

This  book  has  been  carefully  planned  to  meet  the  needs 
of  intermediate  grades  in  public  and  private  schools.  In 
its  preparation  the  authors  have  employed  similar  methods, 
and,  in  part,  have  used  the  same  material  as  in  the  first 
book  of  "  Modern  English,"  which  has  met  with  such  pro- 
nounced favor.  Instead  of  relying  upon  technical  gram- 
mar to  mold  the  daily  speech  of  children,  emphasis  is  laid 
upon  practice  in  speaking,  reading,  interpreting,  and 
writing  under  the  guidance  of  the  teacher. 

The  authors  believe  in  the  supreme  importance  of  inter- 
est in  successful  language  study.  They  have,  therefore, 
spared  no  pains  in  determining  upon  the  topics  to  be 
presented  and  in  subjecting  their  choice  to  repeated  tests 
in  the  schoolroom. 

The  lessons  are  based  upon  a  cycle  of  topics,  beginning 
with  home  life,  leading  out  through  school  associations 
and  familiar  sights  and  sounds  in  nature,  and  culminating 
in  the  larger  and  remoter  thought  of  country  and  society. 
Pictures,  stories,  poems,  exercises,  suggested  readings, 
have  all  been  chosen  in  accordance  with  this  plan,  to  the 
end  that  children  may  view  language  less  as  an  unrelated 
branch  of  study  than  as  a  unifying  medium  for  all  school 
studies  and  out-of-school  experiences.     In  developing  the 

541402 


vi  PREFACE 

plan,  the  authors  have  sought  to  keep  in  close  sympathy 
with  the  child  mind  and  heart. 

It  is  believed  that  the  method  of  presentation  will  be 
found  simple,  natural,  effective.  Interesting  questions  to 
be  thouglit  out  during  a  silent  study  period  or  discussed 
with  the  teacher  prepare  the  mind  to  receive  definition, 
rule,  or  principle,  or  to  enjoy  a  selection  soon  to  follow. 
Application  of  the  knowledge  gained  or  feelings  aroused 
is  then  made  in  various  ways,  as  in  copying,  writing  from 
dictation,  in  original  oral  or  written  composition,  or  in 
studying  and  memorizing  selections. 

Much  attention  is  given  to  the  cultivation  of  the  imagi- 
nation, on  account  of  its  reaction  both  upon  language  and 
upon  life. 

Throughout  the  book  the  preeminent  importance  of  oral 
practice  is  recognized.  The  ear  is  too  often  a  neglected 
factor  in  language  teaching.  Selections  have  been  intro- 
duced which  the  teacher  is  to  read  to  the  pupils  to  train 
them  to  a  perception  of  nice  language  values.  Pupils  are 
directed  to  criticise  their  own  language  as  regards  not 
only  the  interest  of  the  thought  expressed  in  it,  but  the 
quality  of  its  sound  also. 

The  authors  have  aimed  to  supply  material  in  sufficient 
abundance  to  permit  a  desirable  freedom  of  choice  on  the 
part  of  teachers  and  supervisors,  who  will  thus  be  able  to 
adapt  the  language  work  closely  to  the  requirements  of 
the  local  course  of  study  and  to  salient  features  of  the 
natural  environment. 

The  plan  of  the  book  is  as  follows :  Part  I  is  devoted 
to  the  sentence,  which  from  the  first  is  treated  as  a  part 


PREFACE  vii 

of  connected  discourse.  It  aims  to  make  the  printed  page 
mean  more  to  the  pupil,  and  to  give  him  mastery  of  the 
common  uses  of  capital  letters,  punctuation  marks,  and 
grammatical  relations,  that  his  words,  spoken  or  written, 
may  mean  more  to  others.  At  the  same  time,  progress 
is  made  in  thought-getting  and  in  the  orderly  arrange- 
ment of  thoughts  in  sentences  and  paragraphs. 

Part  II  consists  of  a  practical  and  attractive  treatment 
of  letter  writing.  The  material  used  is  new,  the  infor- 
mation is  up-to-date,  and  the  exercises  for  practice  are 
abundant. 

Part  III  continues  the  study  of  the  sentence  and  the 
paragraph.  The  parts  of  speech  are  explained  and  also 
the  classification  of  sentences,  according  to  form.  The 
correction  of  common  mistakes  in  language  receives  much 
attention.  Another  aim  constantly  kept  in  view  is  the 
growth  of  the  pupil's  vocabulary  through  the  use  of  the 
dictionary,  the  study  of  synonyms,  and  word  formation. 
By  simple  means  entirely  within  their  capacity,  children 
gain  a  knowledge  of  the  distinction  between  prose  and 
poetry,  narration  and  description.  Thus  they  gradually 
acquire  the  power  of  appreciating  the  strength  or  beauty 
of  what  they  read  and  of  expressing  their  own  thoughts 
in  appropriate  language. 

The  selections  from  the  writings  of  Henry  W.  Long- 
fellow, James  Russell  Lowell,  Thomas  Bailey  Aldrich, 
Edmund  Clarence  Stedman,  James  T.  Fields,  Annie  Fields, 
John  G.  Whittier,  and  Frank  Dempster  Sherman  and 
the  translation  from  Bjornson  are  used  by  permission  of 
and  by  special  arrangement  with  Houghton,  Mifflin  Com- 


Vlll  PREFACE 

pany,  the  authorized  publishers  of  the  works  of  these 
authors. 

A  selection  from  the  writings  of  Richard  Henry  Stod- 
dard is  used  by  special  arrangement  with  Charles  Scrib- 
ner's  Sons,  who  publish  copyright  editions  of  the  works 
of  that  author. 

A  selection  from  the  writings  of  Helen  Hunt  Jackson 
is  used  by  permission  of  Little,  Brown,  and  Company,  and 
a  letter  of  Phillips  Brooks  by  permission  of  E.  P.  Button 
and  Company.  The  poem  of  H.  H.  Bennett  is  used  by 
permission  of  the  author,  and  of  the  publishers  of  The 
Youth's  Companion.  The  selection  from  William  Cullen 
Bryant  is  used  by  permission  of  D.  Appleton  and  Com- 
pany. The  extract  from  Laura  E.  Richards  is  used  by 
permission  of  Dana  Estes  and  Company. 

The  authors  cordially  acknowledge  their  indebtedness 
to  scores  of  teachers  who,  in  one  way  or  another,  have 
freely  given  aid  in  the  preparation  of  this  book. 


TABLE   OF   CONTENTS 

PART  ONE 

1B880N  PAGB 

1.  Beautiful  Thoughts.     Reading  and  Conversation       ...  2 

2.  Thought-Getting  through  Observation 8 

3.  Practice.     Observation  and  Mental  Picturing     ....  4 

4.  Thought-Getting  through  Reading.    Hercules  and  the  Wagoner  5 

5.  Thought-Getting  through  Conversation.     An  Excursion     .         .  7 

6.  Modes  of  Expressing  Thought.     Sentence  Defined     ...  8 

7.  Sentence  Study.     Exercise  for  Practice 9 

8.  Proper  Forms  in  Writing.     Capital  Letters         ....  10 

9.  Written  Exercises,     llie  Wind 12 

10.  Capitals  in  Titles.     Madam  How 12 

11.  A  School  Experience.     Making  and  Arranging  Sentences          .  13 

12.  Declarative  Sentences 14 

13.  Tlie  Captain's  Daughter.     A  Story  in  Verse      ....  17 

14.  Interrogative  Sentences 18 

15.  An  Exercise  in  Silent  Reading.     The  Old  Soldier      ...  19 

16.  Imperative  Sentences 20 

17.  Requests  or  Entreaties 21 

18.  Names  of  the  Deity.     Capital  Letters 22 

19.  A  Story  to  be  Retold.     Sir  Philip  Sidney 22 

20.  The  Flag  goes  By.    A  Patriotic  Poem 23 

21.  Exclamatory  Sentences 26 

22.  A  Review  of  Sentences 26 

23.  Hidden  Gold.     Practice  in  Story  telling 26 

24.  Paragraphs.     Indentation 28 

25.  A  September  Garden.     Sentence  Study 29 

26.  Exercises  in  Description 30 

27.  Story-telling.     Five  in  One  Pod 31 

28.  The  Study  of  a  Picture.     Description 32 

29.  Wheat.     Practice  in  Thought-getting 33 

30.  A  Story  to  be  Written 34 

31.  October^s  Bright  Blue  Weather.     Word  Pictures  in  Verse         .  34 

32.  A  Word  Picture  in  Prose 36 

ix 


TABLE  OF  CONTENTS 


33.  How  to  Use  the  Dictionary 

34.  Exercise  in  Silent  Reading.      The  Sphinx 

35.  Home  Preparations  for  Winter,     Sentence  Grouping 

36.  Birds.     Paragrapli  Writing 

37.  Trees.     Paragraph  Writing 

38.  Study  of  a  Picture.     The  End  of  Day 

39.  The  Tree.     Mental  Picturing      . 

40.  An  Exercise  in  Description 

41.  Fur  Bearers.     Paragraph  Writing 

42.  Insects.     Paragraph  Writing 

43.  Child's  Play.     Explaining  Things 

44.  Composition.     Subjects  or  Titles 
46.    Humble  Helpers.     Exercises  in  Composition 

46.  Pumpkins.     Observation  and  Conversation 

47.  Winter.     Paragraph  and  Sentence  Study 

48.  An  Exercise  in  Planning  and  Writing 

49.  Review^ 

50.  Little  Lessons  in  History     . 

51.  A  Picture  Lesson.     Attacked  by  Wolves 

52.  A  Story  Suggested  by  a  Picture  . 

53.  The  Wolf.     Paragraph  Study      . 

54.  Home,  Sweet  Home.     A  Song     . 

55.  Dictation  Exercise       .... 

56.  Contractions.     An  Exercise  in  Observation 

57.  A  Lesson  in  Good  Form.     Contractions 

58.  Bits  of  Local  Lore.     Conversation  and  Composit: 

59.  Picture  Study  and  Composition.     TJie  Meeting 

60.  A  Story  to  be  Retold 

61.  How  Quotations  are  Punctuated 

62.  Practice  in  Using  Quotation  Marks 

63.  Quotations  at  Beginning  of  Sentences 

64.  Divided  Quotations 

65.  The  Important  Corporal.     A  Character  Study 

66.  A  Use  of  the  Comma 

67.  TJie  Monkey  and  the  Cats.     Reproduction 

68.  Practice.     Punctuation  of  Quotations 

69.  Lullaby  for  Titania.     For  Memorizing 

70.  The  Parts  of  a  Sentence      .... 

71.  The  Subject  of  a  Sentence  .... 

72.  The  Predicate  of  a  Sentence 


TABLE  OF  CONTENTS  xi 

tBSBOK  PAGE 

73.  Groups  of  Words  as  Subjects 77 

74.  Groups  of  Words  as  Predicates 78 

75.  Separating  the  Subject  and  Predicate 79 

76.  Tlie  Position  of  Subject  and  Predicate 80 

77.  Order  in  Sentences 81 

78.  Simple  Sentences 82 

79.  History  and  Composition 82 

.  80.   Review 83 

81.  liohert  of  Lincoln.     A  Life  History  in  Verse   ....  84 

82.  A  Study  of  the  Poem.     Conversation 87 

83.  Writing  Stories  from  Outlines 89 

84.  Exercises  in  Explaining 90 

86.   The  Book  I  like  Best 90 

86.  Completing  a  Story 91 

87.  A  Thinking  Match 91 

88.  An  Exercise  in  Thinking 92 

89.  The  Arrow  and  the  Song.     For  Memorizing     ....  93 

90.  Summary 94 

PART  TWO 

91.  Use  of  Letter-writing 96 

92.  A  Letter.     Phillips  Brooks  to  his  Niece 97 

93.  Letter-writing 98 

94.  The  Parts  of  a  Letter 99 

95.  The  Heading 100 

96.  The  Salutation  .         .                 101 

97.  The  Body 102 

98.  The  Conclusion 103 

99.  The  Superscription 104 

100.  Exercises  in  Letter-writing 106 

101.  Business  Letters.     Diagram  showing  Parts       ....  107 

102.  Forms  of  Business  Letters 109 

108.    Applications  for  Positions 110 

104.  Practice  in  Letter-writing Ill 

105.  Social  Notes 112 

106.  Formal  Notes 113 

107.  Exercises  in  writing  Notes  and  Letters 114 

108.  Telegrams 115 

109.  Discussion  and  Composition.     Sending  Messages      .        .        .  116. 


Xli  TABLE  OF  CONTENTS 


PART  THREE 

LE880K                                                                                                                                                                          .  PAGE 

110.  The  Soioer.     Conversation  about  a  Great  Picture     .        .        .118 

111.  The  Throstle.     Study  of  Poetry 120 

112.  Word  Work  in  Sentences.     The  Parts  of  Speech      .        .        .121 

113.  Nouns 122 

114.  Practice.     Dandelions .        .  123 

115.  Common  and  Proper  Nouns 124 

116.  Surnames  and  Given  Names 125 

117.  Reading  and  Mental  Picturing.     Barharossa    ....  126 

118.  Legends  and  Other  Tales.     Conversation 128 

119.  Composition .        .         .         .129 

120.  Making  an  Outline 130 

121.  Writing  from  Outlines 131 

122.  Synonyms  and  Antonyms 132 

123.  The  Defense  of  Thermopylce.     Narration 133 

124.  Order  in  Story-telling 135 

125.  Study  of  a  Plan 136 

126.  Verses  to  be  Memorized.     May 137 

127.  A  Beautiful  Word  Picture.     Prom  Sir  Launfal        .        .        .140 

128.  Verbs  and  What  they  Do 140 

129.  A  Useful  Verb 141 

130.  The  Verb-phrase 142 

131.  Complements 144 

132.  An  Exercise  in  Story-telling 144 

133.  Review 145 

134.  Transitive  Verbs ".        .        .        .  145 

135.  Picture  Study.     School  in  Brittany 147 

136.  Present  and  Past  Forms  of  Verbs 148 

137.  Forms  to  Use  after  Have  and  Has 149 

138.  Some  Common  Verbs 150 

139.  Completing  a  Story.     An  Interrupted  Journey         .        .        .  151 

140.  Two  Troublesome  Verbs 152 

141.  Word  Study.     Careful  Thinking .154 

142.  The  Ant  and  the  Grasshopper.     Punctuation    .        .        .        .154 

143.  Adding  to  the  Story 155 

144.  Study  of  Troublesome  Forms 156 

145.  Avoiding  Mistakes.     Shall  or  Will 156 

146.  Bain.     An  Exercise  in  Explanation 158 

147.  Before  the  Bain.    Poetic  Pictures 159 


TABLE  OF  CONTENTS  Xlll 

LK880N  PAGK 

148.  Prose  and  Poetry.     How  they  Differ 160 

149.  The  Cloud.     Interpreting  Poetry 161 

150.  Exercises  in  Description 162 

151.  Personification 163 

152.  An  Exercise  in  Dictation 163 

153.  Singular  Nouns  and  Plural  Nouns 164 

154.  How  Plural  Nouns  are  Fonned 165 

155.  When  to  Use  Certain  Words 168 

1^.  A  Picture  Study.     King  Arthur        • 169 

157.  A  Reading  Exercise.     How  Arthur  became  King     .        .        .  169 

158.  Study  of  the  Story 172 

159.  Review 173 

100.  How  Nouns  show  Possession 174 

161.  Irregular  Possessive  Forms 175 

162.  Review 176 

163.  Paragraph  Writing.    The  Topic  Sentence         .        .        .        .177 

164.  A  Reading  Exercise.     Little  Sunrise 178 

165.  A  Study  of  Synonyms 179 

166.  Pronouns 180 

167.  Practice  in  the  Use  of  Pronouns 181 

168.  A  Quotation  within  a  Quotation .  182 

169.  Personal  Pronouns 182 

170.  How  to  Use  Personal  Pronouns 183 

171.  The  Proper  Order  of  Pronouns  . 185 

172.  Picture  Study  and  Composition.     Visiting  Day        .        .        .  187 

173.  Modifiers  Explained  and  Defined 188 

174.  Simple  Subject  and  Simple  Predicate 189 

175.  Adjectives 190 

176.  Other  Adjectives 192 

177.  Uses  of  the  Hyphen.     The  Cornfield 193 

178.  Word  Building.     Prefixes  and  Suffixes 195 

179.  A  Study  of  Some  Prefixes 196 

180.  Word  Pictures  in  Poetry  and  Prose 198 

181.  The  Study  of  a  Picture.     Landscape  with  Mill         .        .        .  199 

182.  Lesson  in  Synonyms 200 

183.  Two  Famous  Explorere.     A  Review 201 

184.  Helping  the  Shoemaker.     Mental  Picturing      ....  202 

185.  miat  my  Old  Shoe  Told.     An  Exercise  in  Stoiy-telling            .  203 

186.  Waves  after  a  Storm.     Degrees  of  Quality       ....  204 

187.  TTie  Gentlemanly  Horse.     Comparison  of  Adjectives        .        .  206 


XIV 


TABLE  OF  CONTENTS 


LESSON 

188.  Irregular  Comparison         .... 

189.  A  Reading  Exercise.     A  Story  of  Japan  . 

190.  Completing  a  Story 

191.  Adverbs  modifying  Verbs 

192.  Adverbs  with  Other  Words  than  Verbs     . 

193.  Poetic  Comparisons 

194.  A  Swiss  Legend.     How  to  Tell  a  Story     . 

195.  Poems  that  foster  Love  of  Country.      Warren'' s 

196.  Oral  Review 

197.  Words  in  a  Series.     The  Comma 

198.  Prepositions 

199.  Word  Study.     Prepositions 

200.  Music  in  Poetry.     Puck  and  the  Fairy 

201.  History  Story  to  be  Retold.     Putnam  and  the 

202.  Biography.     Order  of  Details    . 

203.  Phrases  Explained  and  Defined 

204.  Prepositional  Phrases  as  Modifiers    . 

205.  Variety  of  Expression        .... 

206.  Review  of  Possessive  Forms 

207.  Possession  expressed  by  a  Phrase 

208.  A  Pennsylvania  Farmhouse.     Description 

209.  N'arcissa.     Description  of  a  Person  . 

210.  Conjunctions 

211.  Conjunctions  and  Verbs     .... 

212.  Interjections 

213.  Going  A-mitting.     A  Word  Picture  in  Prose 

214.  A  Debate 

215.  Applying  what  you  Know.     A  Review 

216.  Word-building.     Use  of  Suffixes 

217.  La  Salle.     The  Parts  of  Speech 

218.  Character  Study  and  Description 

219.  Lucy.     A  Study  of  Character    . 

220.  A  Colonial  Girl.     Actions  that  show  Character 

221.  Clauses  Explained  and  Defined 

222.  Independent  and  Dependent  Clauses 

223.  Simple,  Compound,  and  Complex  Sentences 

224.  Combining  Sentences         .... 

225.  Exercises  in  Paragraph  Writing 

226.  Picture  Study.     The  Fisherman's  Daughter 

227.  Explaining  Things 


Address 


Wolf 


TABLE  OF  CONTENTS  XV 

LE880N  PAGE 

228.  Leading  Industries  of  New  England.     An  Exercise  in  Para- 

graphing           258 

229.  Stories  to  be  Told  from  Outlines 259 

230.  Training  the  Memory 260 

231.  Exercises  in  Composition 261 

232.  The  Weather  Bureau?    Explanation 262 

233.  Work  and  the  Workman.     Outlines  of  Compositions        .         .  262 

234.  A  Poet's  Call.     SUnzas  from  The  Psalm  of  Life      .         .        .  26i 

235.  Summary  ...........  206 

Appendix  : 

A.  The  Land  of  Story  Books 269 

B.  Review  of  Hules  for  Capital  Letters 272 

C.  Review  of  l*unctuation 272 

Index         .         .          . 275 


BOOK  II 

LESSONS  IN  LANGUAGE,  LITERATURE,  AND 
COMPOSITION 


Birds  are  singing  round  my  window, 
Tunes  the  sweetest  ever  heard, 
And  I  hang  my  cage  there  daily, 
But  I  never  catch  a  bird. 

So    with    thoughts    my    brain    is 
peopled, 
J      And  they  sing  there  all  day  long  : 
But  they  will  not  fold  their  pinions 
In  the  little  cage  of  Song ! 


^  From   "The  Poems  of   Richard   Henry  Stoddard."    Copyright, 
1880,  by  Charles  Scribuer's  Sons. 

B  1 


PART   I 

THOUGHT    AND   ITS   EXPRESSION 
Sentences  Defined  and  Classified,  Grouped  and  Analyzed 


BEAUTIFUL  THOUGHTS 
Reading  and  Conversation 

Listen  while  your  teacher  reads  the  hnes  on  page  1. 

Read  the  poem  yourself  silently  and  then  aloud. 

Talk  about  its  meaning. 

Do  you  like  the  way  it  is  illustrated  ?     Why  ? 

If  you  can,  repeat  other  lines  of  poetry  that  please 
you. 

Commit  the  poem  to  memory.  It  will  people 
your  brain  with  beautiful  thoughts.  It  is  a  good 
thing  to  have  such  thoughts  sing  there  even  if  they 
"  do  not  fold  their  pinions  "  in  the  "  cage  of  Song  " 
or  story. 

Written  Exercises.  —  I.    Copy  the  poem  neatly. 
11.    Write  from  dictation :  — 

Make  yourselves  nests  of  pleasant  thoughts ! 
What  fairy  palaces  we  may  build  of  beautiful  thoughts ! 

—  John  Kuskin. 
Word  Study 
pinions  means  wings. 


THOUGHT-GETTING   THROUGH  OBSERVATION 


THOUGHT-GETTING  THROUGH   OBSERVATION 
To  be  Talked  Over 

You  will  not  find  it  hard  to  get  thoughts  if  you 
notice  common  things  carefully,  and  store  up  in  your 
mind  pictures  of  what  you  observe. 

You  will  notice,  for  example,  that:  — 

All  birds  have  feathers. 

Most  birds  sing. 

Some  birds  fly  high  in  the  air. 

Others  keep  near  the  ground. 

Some  birds  make  nests  in  one  way,  some  in  another. 

Some  birds  lay  eggs  of  one  color,  some  of  another. 

Some  birds  feed  on  seeds. 

Others  live  on  worms  and  the  like. 

Some  birds  are  more  beautiful  than  others. 

Some  birds  remain  with  us  the  whole  year  through. 

Others  leave  us  at  certain  seasons,  or  migrate. 

Each  observation  gives  you  a  mental  picture  or 
idea  of  some  "  little  brother  of  the  air  "  ;  a  "  shut- 
eye  "  picture  of  what  it  is  (bird),  what  it  does  (sings), 
or  how  it  appears  (little),  and  so  on. 

With  each  picture  you  join  its  proper  sign  or 
word. 

When  you  put  the  mental  pictures  together  prop- 
erly, they  become  your  thoughts. 


LESSONS  IN  ENGLISH 


Sparrows. 


PRACTICE 
Observation  and  Mental  Picturing 

Observation.  —  Look  at  the  picture  on  this  page. 
What  do  you  see  in  it  ?  What  artist  painted  it  ? 
The  artist  first  observed  carefully  the  little  creatures 
which  chirp  and  flit  about  our  streets  and  highways; 
he  formed  a  good  mental  picture  of  each  object  before 
he  was  able  to  paint  it. 


THOUGHT-GETTING   THROUGH  READING  5 

Mental  Picturing.  —  From  the  following  list,  select 
the  name  of  an  animal  you  have  observed  carefully. 
Do  not  tell  aloud  which  one  it  is :  — 

rabbit         squirrel         dog        horse        elephant        sparrow 

Close  your  eyes  and  try  to  see  as  clear  a  picture  of 
it  as  you  can.  Think  carefully  of  its  form,  size, 
color,  covering,  especially  of  the  parts  by  which  you 
know  it  best. 

Expression  by  Hand. — 3fake  a  draiving  or  cutting 
of  the  aniinal.  Do  your  classmates  know  what  it  is  ? 
Does  the  result  show  that  you  notice  common  things 
carefully  ?  Compare  your  drawing  or  cutting  with  a 
good  printed  picture  of  the  animal.  How  is  your 
work  like  that  ?     How  do  the  two  differ  ? 

•  Word  study 

To  observe  means  to  notice  with  care.  Ears  as  well  as  eyes 
are  used  when  we  observe.     What  else  may  be  used  ? 


THOUGHT-GETTING   THROUGH   READING 

Read  the  following  story  silently :  — 

Hercules  and  the  Wagoner  —  A  Fable 

A  man  was  once  driving  a  heavy  load  along  a  muddy  road. 
Presently  he  came  to  a  spot  where  the  wheels  sank  halfway 
into  the  mire.  The  more  the  horses  tried  to  pull  them  out, 
the  deeper  they  sank.     At  last  the  man  threw  aside  his  whip, 


6  LESSONS  IN  ENGLISH 

knelt  down  and  loudly  prayed  to  Hercules  the  Strong.  "  0 
Hercules,  help  me  !  I  pray  you,  help  me  !  "  he  cried.  But 
Hercules  answered  :  "  Pshaw,  man,  don't  lie  there  in  the  mud  ! 
Get  up  and  put  your  shoulder  to  the  wheel.  Don't  you  know 
that  the  gods  help  them  that  help  themselves  ?  " 

Try  to  form  a  mental  picture  of  what  is  told  in  the 
first  line.  Which,  words  are  of  most  use  to  you  in 
making  the  picture  ? 

What  kind  of  man  do  you  think  the  Wagoner 
was  ?  How  is  Hercules  described  ?  Do  you  know 
why  ?  Was  Hercules  right  in  what  he  said  ?  Why 
do  you  think  so  ? 

What  are  stories  like  the  above  called?  What 
other  fables  do  you  recall  ?  How  are  fables  different 
from  other  stories  ?  What  words  of  the  story  tell  the 
lesson  this  fable  teaches  ?  What  kind  of  help  is 
best? 

Oral  Exercises.  —  I.  Tell  the  story.  Be  sure  to 
pronounce  every  word  correctly.  Hercu  les  is  a 
word  of  three  syllables. 

II.  Find  a  fable  in  some  other  hook.  Read  it  arid 
tell  tvhat  lesson  it  teaches. 

III.  Read  from  a  geography  ahout  good  roads. 
Tell  lohat  you  have  read. 

Written  Exercises.  —  I.  Copy  the  first  line  of  the 
fable.     Make  a  draiving  to  go  with  it. 

II.  Write  in  your  own  ivords  v)hatyou  have  learned 
ahout  good  roads. 


THOUGHT-GETTING   THROUGH  CONVERSATION 


THOUGHT-CxETTING   THROUGH   CONVERSATION 
A  Walk  or  Excursion 

Plan  an  interesting  walk  or  excursion  to  the  fields, 
a  park,  a  factory,  a  shop,  or  other  good  place. 

Invite  some  one  to  go  with  you;  make  the  invita- 
tion as  attractive  as  you  can. 

If  the  teacher  is  willing,  use  the  Avalk  as  the 
subject  of  a  conversation  in  w^hicli  all  the  class 
may  join. 

In  the  conversation  be  sure  to  — 

1.  Have  soinetldng  interesting  to  tell;  for  example, 
when,  where,  why  you  w^ent,  who  w^ent  with  you, 
what  you  saw  and  did,  what  kind  of  time  you  had. 
Know  how* and  when  to  say  each  of  the  above. 

2.  Ask  for  explanations  of  what  you  saw  but  did 
not  understand.  Get  all  the  information  from  others 
that  you  can. 

3.  Describe  something  you  collected.  You  may  also 
tell  where  you  obtained  it,  of  what  use  or  impor- 
tance it  is,  what  you  intend  to  do  with  it. 

Try  to  talk  in  a  way  that  will  make  others  wish  to 
see,  to  know,  to  do,  as  you  have  done. 

If  othei-  experiences  are  told,  report  how  they  are 
like  or  unlike  yours. 

I.  Expression  by  Hand.  —  Make  one  or  more  draw- 
ings  of  things  that   interested   you  in  your  walk  or 


8  LESSONS  IN  ENGLISH 

excursion.      Make  a  diagram  showing  the  route  you 
took. 

II.    Co2Jy  and  discuss  the  meanhig  of :  — 

We're  made  so  that  we  love 

First  when  we  see  them  painted,  things  we  have  passed 

Perhaps  a  hundred  times,  nor  cared  to  see. 

—  KoBERT  Browning. 

6 


MODES  OF  EXPRESSING   THOUGHT 
Sentence  Defined 

When  the  conductor  of  a  passenger  train  signals 
with  his  hand  to  the  engineer  to  start  the  train,  the 
conductor  expresses  a  thought,  which  the  engineer 
understands.  It  means  "  Go  ahead."  Such  a  method 
of  expressing  thought  is  sometimes  called  sign  lan- 
guage ;  but  it  is  not  real  language.  In  real  lan- 
guage the  thoughts  are  expressed  by  means  of  spoken 
or  written  words,  properly  grouped  together  in  sen- 
tences. 

A  group  of  words  may  mean  something  and  still 
not  be  a  sentence.  The  words  "  The  old  house  at 
home"  may  call  up  so  clear  a  mental  picture  that 
the  hearer  seems  to  see  the  house,  yet  the  words 
do  not  express  a  complete  thought.  They  do  not 
make  a  statement,  ask  a  question,  or  give  a  command. 

When  words  are  so  put  together  that  they  express 
a  complete  thought,  they  form  a  sentence. 


SENTENCE  STUDY  9 

Definition.  —  A  sentence  is  a  group  of  words  expressing  a 
complete  thought. 

Rule.  — Every  written  sentence  should  begin  with  a  capital 
letter. 

Oral  Exercises.  —  Think  hoiv  each  of  the  folloiving 
persons  exjjresses  thought:  — 

A  little  baby,  a  deaf  mute,  an  artist,  a  person  who 
does  not  know  your  language,  the  audience  at  a 
school  entertainment,  the  performer  in  a  pantomime. 


SENTENCE   STUDY 

I.  Study  the  folloiving  groups  of  words.      Which 
express  a  complete  thought,  and  w^iich  do  not  ? 

1.  An  artist  paints  pictures  with  his  brush. 

2.  A  poet  paints  pictures  with  words. 

3.  See  the  birds,  children. 

4.  All  day  long. 

5.  In  a  little  cage. 

6.  Read  the  poem  silently. 

7.  They  sing  there. 

8.  In  the  mud. 

9.  Is  your  brain  peopled  with  good  thoughts  ? 
10.  I  am  studying  the  English  language. 

II.  Atlanta  is  the  capital  of  Georgia. 

12.  I  see  the  lights  of  the  village. 

13.  Franklin  at  the  age  of  ten  years. 

14.  To  swim  across  the  river. 

15.  Left  school  to  help  his  father. 


10  LESSOJVS   IN   ENGLISH 

II.    Use  each  of  the  folloiving  groups  of  words  in  a 
complete  and  interesting  sentence :  — 

1.  At  the  spring.  6.  Passing  along  the  road. 

2.  On  the  wing.  7.  An  old,  old,  old,  old  lady. 

3.  May  I  gather  ?  8.  The  boy  with  a  little  laine  knee. 

4.  Over  the  bank.  9.  Eight  under  the  maple  tree. 

5.  Like  home.  10.  Never  stirred  from  their  places. 


8 


PROPER  FORMS  IN  WRITING 
Capital  Letters 

In  the  lessons  already  studied  use  is  made  of  cer- 
tain forms  which  require  attention  and  frequent  re- 
view.    They  are :  — 

I.    Names  of  Persons,  Initials,  Titles, 
and  Abbreviations 

Study  the  folloioing  :  — 

Richard  Henry  Stoddard  R.  H.  Stoddard    Mr.  Stoddard 

Robert  Browning  R.  Browning  Mr.  Browning 

Elizabeth  Barrett  Browning     E.  B.  Browning     Mrs.  Browning 

Which  are  full  names  of  persons?  initials  ?  titles? 
Which  are  abbreviations  ?  How  are  capital  letters 
and  periods  used  above  ? 

Rules.  —  1.  Each  word  in  the  name  of  a  person  should  begin 
with  a  capital  letter. 

2.  Every  initial  written  instead  of  the  name  of  a  person 
should  be  a  capital  letter  and  should  be  followed  by  a  period. 


PROPER   FORMS  IN   WRITING  11 

3.  A  title  used  with  the  name  of  a  person  should  begin  with 
a  capital  letter. 

4.  Every  abbreviation  should  be  followed  by  a  period. 

II.    Time  and  Place  Names 

Which  of  the  following  are  names  of  particular 
})laces?  of  periods  of  time?  What  holiday  is 
named  ?  With  what  kind  of  letter  does  each  word 
in  each  name  begin  ? 

East  St.  Louis  New  Orleans  January 

United  States  Monday  Independence  Day 

Rules.  —  5.  Each  word  in  the  name  of  a  place  should  begin 
with  a  capital  letter. 

6.  The  names  of  Ihe  days  of  the  week,  of  the  months  of  the 
year,  and  of  holidays  should  begin  with  capital  letters. 

III.    The  Words /and  0 

On  page  6  find  the  ivorcls  I  and  0. 
With  what  kjnd  of  letter  is  each  of  the  above 
words  written  ? 

Rule.  —  7.  The  words  /  and  0  should  always  be  written  as 
capital  letters. 

IV.   The  First  Word  of  a  Line  of  Poetry 

Read  again  the  poem  on  page  1. 

With  what  kind  of  letter  does  each  line  begin  ? 
A  line  of   poetry  is  called  a  verse.     How  many 


12 


LESSONS  IN  ENGLISH 


verses  in  the  poem  entitled  "  Birds  "  ?  In  the  poem 
four  verses  are  grouped  together 
to  form  a  stanza. 

How  many  stanzas  in  the 
poem? 

Rule. — 8.  The  first  word  of  every 
line  of  poetry  should  begin  with  a 
capital  letter. 


9 


WRITTEN  EXERCISES 

I.    Copy  the  following.    If  you 
can,  add  two  more  stanzas. 

The  Wind 

I  saw  you  toss  the  kites  on  high 
And  blow  the  birds  across  the  sky ; 
And  all  around  I  heard  you  pass, 
Like  ladies'  skirts  across  the  grass  — 
0  wind,  a-blowing  all  day  long, 
0  wind,  that  sings  so  loud  a  song  ! 
—  R.  L.  Stevenson. 


II.    Tell  in  loriting  different  uses  of  the  wind. 


10 


TITLES  OF  WRITTEN  WORK 

Study  the  followiiig  group  of  sentences.     Notice  how 
cajntal  letters  are  used  in  the  name  or  title. 


A    JUT  OF  SCHOOL   EXPERIENCE  13 

The  Patience  of  Madam  How 

Most  patient  indeed  is  ^Madam  How.  She  takes  just  as 
much  pains  to  make  an  acorn  as  to  make  a  peach.  She  takes 
just  as  much  pains  about  the  acorn  which  the  pig  eats,  as 
about  the  acorn  which  will  grow  into  a  tall  oak,  and  help  to 
build  a  great  ship.  She  took  just  as  much  pains,  again,  about 
the  acorn  which  you  crushed  under  your  foot  just  now  and 
which  you  fancy  will  never  come  to  anything.  Madam  How 
is  wiser  than  that.  She  knows  that  it  will  come  to  some- 
thing. She  will  find  some  use  for  it,  as  she  finds  a  use  for 
everything.  —  Charles  Kixgsley. 

Rule.  —  The  first  word  and  every  important  word  in  the 
title  of  a  book,  magazine,  newspaper,  picture,  or  written  paper 
should  begin  with  a  capital  letter. 

Exercises.  —  I.  Discuss  the  loriting  and  j^lcicing  of 
titles  in  your  ivritten  tvork.  Find  out  exactly  how 
your  teacher  wishes  this  done. 

II.  Copy  titles  to  he  found  in  this  hook,  as 
follows :  — 

1.   Of  a  story.         2.    Of  a  picture.         3.   Of  a  poem. 


11 


A  BIT  OF  SCHOOL   EXPERIENCE 
Making  and  Arranging  Sentences 

I.    What  interesting  things  happened  in  school  this 
morning  ?  this  afternoon  ? 

Write  sentences  answering  the  above  questions. 
Speak  of  things  in  the  order  in  which  they  happened. 
Give  the  paper  a  proper  title. 


14 


LESSONS  IN  ENGLISH 


II.  Each  pupil  in  the  class  may  choose  one  of 
the  following  and  write  a  sentence  or  a  group  of 
sentences  about  it :  — 

1.  The  school.  2.  The  teacher.  3.  The  class  reciting. 
4.    The  newcomers.      5.   The  girls  at  their  desks. 


School  is  Brittany. 


Geoffroy. 


12 


DECLARATIVE   SENTENCES 

What  does  each  of  the  following  sentences  do  ? 

1.  Hans  Christian  Andersen  was  a  great  story-teller. 

2.  Common  things  made  him  think  of  delightful  tales. 

3.  Andersen  lived  in  Denmark. 


DECLARATIVE  SENTENCES  15 

4.  For  many  years  he  was  poor  and  friendless. 

5.  His  stories  gained  friends  and  glory  for  him  at  last. 

6.  His  books  have  been  translated  into  all  the  languages  of 
Europe. 

Each  sentence  given  above  makes  a  statement 
from  which  you  learn  a  fact  about  Andersen  or  his 
stories.  Sentences  that  make  statements  are  called 
declarative  sentences.  What  mark  is  used  at  the  end 
of  each  ? 

Remember.  —  A  declarative  sentence  is  a  sentence  that  makes 
a  statement. 

Every  declarative  sentence  should  end  with  a  period. 

Oral  Exercises. -^  I.     Name    a    poet    whom    you 
admire  and  make  interesting  statements  about  him. 
II.    Make  three  statements  about  each  of  these:  — 

Atlantic  Ocean,  September,  iron,  steam,  electricity,  bananas. 

What  are  sentences  that  make  statements  called  ? 
What  kind  of  sentences  have  you  studied  in  this 
lesson  ? 

Written  Exercises.  —  I.  Write  from  dictation  the 
sentences  fjiven  for  study. 

II.  Write  four  statements  about  square  measure,  its 
uses  or  facts  in  regard  to  it. 

III.  Write  on  the  blackboard  the  most  interest- 
ing statements  made  about  each  topic  named  in 
Oral  Exercise  II.  Arrange  the  statements  in  the 
best  order. 


The  Lookout. 

("AU's  Well.") 

16 


Winslow  Homer, 


THE  captain's  DAUGHTER  17 


13 


THE   CAPTAIN'S   DAUGHTER 

A  Story  in  Verse 

We  were  crowded  in  the  cabin, 
Not  a  soul  would  dare  to  sleep,  — 
It  was  midnight  on  the  waters, 
And  a  storm  was  on  the  deep. 

'Tis  a  fearful  thing  in  winter 
To  be  shattered  by  the  blast, 
And  to  hear  the  rattling  trumpet 
Thunder,  "  Cut  away  the  mast !  " 

So  we  shuddered  there  in  silence,  — 
For  the  stoutest  held  his  breath. 
While  the  hungry  sea  was  roaring, 
And  the  breakers  talked  with  Death. 

As  thus  we  sat  in  darkness. 
Each  one  busy  with  his  prayers,  — 
"  We  are  lost !  "  the  captain  shouted. 
As  he  staggered  down  the  stairs. 

But  his  little  daughter  whispered, 
As  she  took  his  icy  hand, 
"  Is  not  God  upon  the  ocean. 
Just  the  same  as  on  the  land  ?  " 

Then  we  kissed  the  little  maiden, 
And  we  spoke  in  better  cheer ; 
And  we  anchored  safe  in  harbor 
When  the  morn  was  shining  clear. 

—  James  T.  Fields. 


18  LESSONS  IN  ENGLISH 

The  poem  on  the  preceding  page  is  also  called 
"  Ballad  of  the  Tempest."  A  ballad  is  a  story  in 
verse  easy  to  recite  or  to  sing. 

What  do  these  expressions  mean,  ^^  on  the  deep," 
"by  the  blast,"  "the  hungry  sea"  ?  Does  such  lan- 
guage help  to  make  mental  pictures  clear  ?  Does  it 
make  you  feel  the  danger  of  the  ship  more  than  you 
would  if  Mr.  Fields  had  said.  The  night  loas  stormy  f 
Which  lines  in  the  story  interest  you  most  ? 


14 


INTERROGATIVE   SENTENCES 

Read  the  following  sentences  aloud:  — 

1.  Where  are  you  going  ?     When  will  you  return  ? 

2.  Who  is  going  with  you  ?     May  I  go  ? 

Each  of  the  above  sentences  asks  a  question.  Sen- 
tences that  ask  questions  are  called  interrogative  sen- 
tences.    What  mark  is  used  at  the  end  of  each  ? 

Remember.  —  An  interrogative  sentence  is  a  sentence  that 
asks  a  question. 

Every  interrogative  sentence  should  end  with  an  interroga- 
tion point. 

Oral  Exercises.  —  I.  Ask  five  questions  about  the 
poem  on  page  17  ;  ahout  the  picture  on  page  16  ; 
ahout  the  English  language. 

II.  Ask  three  questions  about  a  mountain,  a  river, 
or  a  lake. 


AN  EXERCISE  IN  SILENT  READING 


19 


III.   Ask  questions  about  the  place  in  which  you  live. 

What  are  sentences  that  ask  questions  called  ? 
What  kind  of  sentences  have  you  given  in  these 
exercises  ? 

Written  Exercises.  —  I.  Drato  a  diagram  of  a 
baseball  field.  Write  four  questions  about  baseball ; 
about  seioing  ;  about  skating  ;  about  luncheon. 

II.  Write    three  inter r^ogative  sentences   aboi 
the  Indians  ;  about  mining  or  miners  ; 
about  other  occupations.  / 

III.  Write  two  important  ques- 
tions asked  in  studying  the  commerce 
of  a  country.     What  is  commerce  f 

15 


AX   EXERCISE  IN  SILENT   READING 

Have  you  ever  seen  soldiers  at  their 
drill  ?    How  do  they  know  what  to  do  ?    A 
soldier  must  learn  to  take  a  certain  position 
the  moment  he  hears  the  word  "  Attention  !  " 
He  becomes   so   used  to   doing  this,  that   he 
takes  the  position  without  thinking,  whenever 
he  hears  the  word. 

Once  an  old  soldier,  carrying  home  his  dinne 
was  crossing  a  muddy  street.     Suddenly  ^     ^ 
some  one   shouted,    "Attention!"     In- 
stantly the   soldier   brought   his    hands 
down  to  his  sides  and  away  went  his  mutton 
and  potatoes  into  the  gutter. 


^t 


^^■^^ 


20  LESSONS  IN  ENGLISH 

What  does  the  first  part  of  the  selection  tell  ? 
Repeat  commands  given  to  soldiers  during  a  drill. 
What  story  is  told  in  the  second  part  ? 
Show  how  a  soldier  stands  at  attention. 
Think  of  a  good  name  for  this  story. 

Written  Exercises.  —  I.    (7op?/  the  story,  giving  it  a 
projyer  title. 

II.    Copy  and  discuss  :■ — 

Habit  is  a  cable ;  we  weave  a  thread  of  it  every  day,  and  it 
becomes  so  strong  we  cannot  break  it.  —  Horace  Mann. 


16 


IMPERATIVE   SENTENCES 

I^ead  aloud  these  groups  of  words  :  — 

1.  Exchange  your  papers.  3.    Kead  it  carefully. 

2.  Look  at  the  first  answer.  4.    Mark  it. 

Each  group  is  a  sentence  expressing  a  command. 
Sentences  that  express  commands  are  called  impera- 
tive sentences.  What  mark  do  you  find  at  the  end 
of  each  ? 

Oral  Exercises.  —  I.    What    commands   have  your 

teachers  given  to-day  f 

II.  Give  a  command  to  a  piqnl  luhom  your  teacher 
will  name. 

What  are  sentences  that  express  commands  called  ? 
What  kind  of  sentences  have  you  given  in  this 
lesson  ? 


REQUESTS   OR  ENTREATIES  21 

Written    Exercises.  —  I.    Fo?'m     imperative     sen- 
tences :  — 

1.    your  face.  5.   to  school  early. 

2.    your  hair.  6.    your  lunch  slowly. 


3.    your  teeth.  7.   quietly. 

4.   your  nails.  8.   polite. 

II.  Write  four  imperative  sentences  used  in  ivork- 
ing  loith  numbers  in  arithmetic. 

III.  Write  Jive  imperative  sentences^  teaching  a  girl 
hoio  to  set  a  table;  a  boy  how  to  water  a  horse. 

IV.  Coiyy  imperative  sentences  from  your  reader. 

17 


REQUESTS  OR  ENTREATIES 

There  are  persons  whom  it  is  not  proper  for  you 
to  command.  In  their  case,  you  make  a  request  or 
an  entreaty ;  thus  :  — 

Mother,  please  buy  me  a  knife. 

Help  us,  dear  Lord. 

Protect  us  by  Thy  might,  great  God,  our  King ! 

These  sentences,  also, are  called  imperative  sentences. 

Remember.  —  An  imperative  sentence  is  a  sentence  that 
expresses  a  command  or  an  entreaty. 

Oral  Exercise.  — Name  five  persons  to  whom  a  child 
may  not  properly  give  commands.  Address  a  request 
or  an  entreaty  to  each,  using  the  words  please,  if  you 
please,  kindly. 


22  LESSONS  IN  ENGLISH 


18 


NAMES   OF   THE   DEITY 

On  page  21  notice  that  the  word  God  begins  with 
a  capital  letter.  God  is  also  spoken  of  as  the  Deity. 
God,  Lord,  King,  are  names  of  the  Deity.  With 
what  kind  of  letter  does  each  name  begin  ? 

Rule.  —  Names  of  the  Deity  should  begin  with  capital  letters. 

Word  Study 

To  command  means  to  order,  to  direct,  to  bid. 

To  request  means  to  ask  as  a  favor. 

To  entreat  means  to  ask  earnestly,  to  beg. 


19 


A   STORY   TO   BE   RETOLD 

Sir  Philip  Sidney  lived  in  the  time  of  the  great  Queen  Eliz- 
abeth, and  no  man  of  her  court  was  more  beloved.  He  had 
everything  to  make  life  pleasant,  and  yet,  when  his  country 
was  in  need,  he  gave  his  life  to  serve  her. 

As  he  lay  wounded  on  a  foreign  battlefield,  a  cup  of  cold 
water  was  placed  at  his  fevered  lips.  Sir  Philip  put  it  aside 
untouched,  offering  it  to  a  common  soldier,  who  lay  on  the 
ground  beside  him,  saying,  "  Take  it ;  thy  necessity  is  greater 
than  mine." 

Bead  this  story  silently.     Tell  it.     Cojoy  it. 
What  kind  of  man  was  Sir  Philip  ? 

Written  Exercise.  — Write  an  account  of  some  un- 
selfish act  you  have  observed  or  read  about. 


THE  FLAG   GOES  BY 


23 


20 


THE  FLAG  GOES  BY! 

Hats  off ! 
Along  the  street  there  comes 
A  blare  of  bugles,  a  ruffle  of  drums, 
A  flash  of  color  beneath  the  sky  : 

Hats  ofe ! 
The  flag  is  passing  by  ! 

Blue  and  crimson  and  white  it  shines, 
Over  the  steel-tipped,  ordered  lines. 

Hats  off! 
The  colors  before  us  fly  ; 
But  more  than  the  flag  is  passing  by. 

Sea  fights  and  land  fights,  grim  and  great, 
Fought  to  make  and  to  save  the  State  : 


24  LESSONS  IN  ENGLISH 

Weary  marches  and  sinking  ships  ; 
Cheers  of  victory  on  dying  lips  ; 

Days  of  plenty  and  years  of  peace, 
March  of  a  strong  land's  swift  increase ; 
Equal  justice,  right  and  law. 
Stately  honor  and  reverent  awe  ; 

Sign  of  a  nation,  great  and  strong. 
To  ward  her  people  from  foreign  wrong : 
Pride  and  glory  and  honor  —  all 
Live  in  the  colors  to  stand  or  fall. 

Hats  off ! 
Along  the  street  there  comes 
A  blare  of  bugles,  a  ruffle  of  drums ; 
And  loyal  hearts  are  beating  high  : 

Hats  off ! 
The  flag  is  passing  by  ! 

—  H.  H.  Bennett. 

The  writer  of  these  spirited  lines  hoped  to  stir 
strong  feeling  in  the  hearts  of  all  who  read  them. 
In  all  ages  poets  have  served  the  cause  of  liberty  by 
rousing  men  to  deeds  of  splendid  courage  through 
their  poems  and  songs.  Can  you  feel  the  spirit  of 
the  poet's  song?  What  does  it  teach  you  to 
love? 

Try  to  see  every  picture  in  the  poem.  Note  espe- 
cially words  signifying  color  and  sound.  Learn  the 
poem  hy  heart. 


EXCLAMATORY  SENTENCES  25 


21 


EXCLAMATORY  SENTEXCES 

Bead  aloud  the  following  sentences: — 

I.  The  flag  is  passing  by  !     2.   How  beautiful  it  is! 

3.    Hurrah  for  Old  Glory  !     4.    How  fine  the  soldiers  look  ! 

Each  of  the  above  sentences  not  only  expresses  a 
complete  thought,  but  shows  strong  feeling.  Sentences 
that  express  strong  feeling  are  called  exclamatory 
sentences.    What  mark  is  used  at  the  end  of  each  ? 

Remember.  —  An  exclamatory  sentence  is  a  sentence  that 
expresses  strong  feeling.  An  exclamatory  sentence  should  end 
with  an  exclamation  point. 

Oral  Exercises. — L  A  big  fire  near  your  home. 
Make  sentences  expressing  your  feeling  about  it. 

II.  A  valuable  purse  lost.  Make  sentences  that 
show  your  feeling  on  finding  it. 

What  are  sentences  that  express  strong  feeling 
called?  What  kind  of  sentences  have  you  given  in 
this  lesson? 

Written  Exercise.  —  Fill  the  blanks  to  form  exclama- 
tory sentences.     Punctuate  properly. 

1.    a day  it  is.  3. the  snow . 

2.   the  ice  glistens.  4. the  wind . 

Sentence  Exercises.  —  I.  You  are  one  of  a  jolly 
picnic  party.  Write  five  exclamatory  sentences  express- 
ing your  feelings  on  the  way  home. 

II.    Copy  six  exclamatory  sentences  from  this  book. 


26  LESSONS  IN  ENGLISH 


22 


A   REVIEW 

I.  Read  the  following  sentences  thoughtfully.  Of 
each  one  tell  whether  it  is  declarative,  interrogative, 
imj^erative,  or  exclamatory.  Give  a  reason  for  the 
use  of  the  mark  at  the  close  of  each. 

1.  What  is  a  sentence  ? 

2.  The  coast  is  clear. 

3.  Is  it  the  new  moon  ? 

4.  Tell  the  story  in  your  own  words. 

5.  How  unselfish  Sir  Philip  Sidney  was  ! 

6.  Lost  time  is  never  found  again. 

7.  Wilful  waste  makes  woeful  want. 

8.  Make  haste  slowly. 

9.  Keep  thy  tongue  from  evil. 

10.   An  ounce  of  pluck  is  better  than  a  pound  of  luck. 

IT.  Turn  to  the  picture  which  is  the  frontispiece 
of  this  book.  Write  sentences  suggested  by  it.  Make 
up  examples  of  all  classes  named  in  Exercise  I. 


23 


HIDDEX   GOLD 
An  Exercise  in  Story-telling 


Bead  : 


There  once  lived  in  sunny  Italy  a  farmer,  who  had  a  fine 
olive  orchard.  Here  he  worked  early  and  late,  and  as  a  result 
of  his  care,  the  trees  flourished  and  bore  abundantly.     This 


HIDDEN   GOLD  27 

man  had  three  sons,  but  they,  alas  !  liked  ease  better  than  work. 
They  thought  it  beneath  them  to  engage  in  the  humble  tasks  of 
a  farmer. 

Years  rolled  by ;  the  farmer  grew  feeble  and  at  last  saw  that 
his  end  was  near.  Thereupon,  he  called  his  sons  to  him,  and 
said,  "  My  sons,  1  am  about  to  die,  but  for  you  there  is  gold 
hidden  in  the  orchard."  The  sons  begged  to  know  more,  but  the 
wise  old  man  turned  a  deaf  ear  to  their  questions;  and  soon 
thereafter  he  died. 

Eager  to  enjoy  their  father's  wealth,  the  sons  at  once  made 
preparations  to  unearth  it.  They  agreed  upon  a  plan  of  work, 
and  then  they  dug  and  they  dug  and  they  dug,  until  every  inch 
of  soil  had  been  turned  over.  But  no  gold  did  they  find.  At 
last  they  gave  up  the  search.  "  Some  one  has  stolen  the  gold  !  " 
said  one.  "  Illness  made  our  father's  wits  wander,"  said  an- 
other.    "  We  have  had  our  labor  for  our  pains,"  said  the  third. 

When  spring  came,  the  •trees  burst  early  into  full  blossom. 
As  the  season  advanced,  every  blossom  turned  to  fruit  of  the 
finest  flavor.  Purchasers  came,  and  when  the  sons  saw  the 
stream  of  gold  collecting  in  the  family  chest,  they  said :  "  Our 
father  of  blessed  memory  spoke  the  truth.  Patient  labor  brought 
to  light  his  hidden  gold." 

Exercises. — I.  Read  the  story  again  to  find  ansivers 
to  these  questions :  — 

1.  Who  are  the  persons  or  characters  in  the  story  ? 
Where  did  they  live  ? 

2.  What  happened  as  the  father  grew  old  ? 

3.  Why  and  how  was  the  search  carried  on  ? 

4.  Did  the  farmer  speak  the  truth  ?  What  part 
of  the  story  proves  this  ? 


28  LESSONS  IN  ENGLISH 

II.  Tell  the  story  to  some  one.    Be  careful  to  speak 
of  things  in  the  right  order. 

III.  Discuss  the  meaning  of  the  story. 

Is  "  hidden  gold  "  to  be  found  in  language  ?     How  ? 

Word  study 
Story-tellmg  is  also  called  narration. 

24 


PARAGRAPHS 
Indentation 

The  story  on  pages  26,  27  is  divided  into  four  para- 
graphs. This  is  done  by  grouping  sentences  which 
relate  to  one  thing  in  the  story. 

The  division  is  shown  by  indentation;  that  is,  by 
beginning  the  first  line  of  each  paragraph  a  little 
farther  to  the  right  of  the  margin  than  the  other  lines. 

Study  each  paragraph  hi  the  story,  as  follows  :  — 

1.  What  does  it  tell  about  ? 

2.  How  many  sentences  does -it  contain  ? 

3.  Does  each  sentence  relate  to  the  subject  or  topic 
of  its  paragraph  ? 

Remember.  —  A  paragraph  is  a  group  or  series  of  sentences 
relating  to  one  topic. 

Indentation  shows  where  a  new  topic  begins. 

Leave  a  margin  of  one  half  to  one  inch  at  the  left  of  your 
paper.  To  indent  the  paragraph  begin  the  first  word  one 
quarter  to  one  half  inch  to  the  right  of  the  margin  line. 


A    SEPTEMBER   GARDEN  29 

Some  persons  favor  a  margin  at  the  right  of  the 
paper  as  well  as  at  the  left.  What  does  your 
teacher  say  about  this  ? 

Exercise.  —  IIoiv  many  paragrajyJis  in  the  story  he- 
ginning  on  page  5?   on  jjage  67? 

25 


A  SEPTEMBER  GARDEN 

Bead :  — 

It  is  not  a  very  large  affair,  this  garden  of  mine,  but  it  makes 
the  world  brighter  for  my  neighbors  and  for  me.  The  garden 
is  very  pretty  just  now.  Long  rows  of  stately  hollyhocks  still 
stand  on  guard.  On  the  low  trees,  a  few  peaches  show  their 
pink  and  downy  cheeks.  The  grapes  are  beginning  to  turn. 
Here  and  there  I  catch  a  gleam  of  purple  or  deep  red.  Do  not 
be  tempted  by  them  !     They  look  far  better  than  they  taste. 

Why  are  hollyhocks  described  as  being  stately 
and  071  guard  f     What  word  describes  the  trees  ? 

Think  of  a  luscious  peach.  Do  the  words  "pink 
and  downy "  help  in  making  your  mind-picture 
clear  ? 

How  do  grapes  turn  ?  What  is  said  of  the  color  of 
the  grapes  in  this  garden  ?  of  their  taste  ? 

Read  the  paragraph  aloud,  noticing  what  each  sen- 
tence adds  to  the  description. 

Tell  lohat  you  have  read. 

Sentence  Exercise.  —  Select  five  declarative  sen- 
tences.    Select  an  exclamatory  sentence. 


30  LESSONS  IN  ENGLISH 

Word  Study 

Stately  means  lofty,  tall.  Luscious  means  delicious. 

A  description  is  a  word  picture.  Gleam  means  glimpse. 

Use  the  above  words  in  sentences  of  your  own. 

Expression  by  Hand.  —  Use  brush  and  color  to  tell 
what  you  see  in  the  desciiptioii. 


26 


EXERCISES  IN   DESCRIPTION 

I.  A  Garden.  —  Think  of  the  garden  you  hioiv  best. 
Tell  hoiv  it  looks  at  this  season.  Try  to  make  your 
classmates  see  in  it  what  you  see  when  you  play 
there,  or  peep  through  the  fence  at  it.  They  will 
wish  to  know  :  — 

Whose  garden  you  are  describing :  where  is  it ;  how  large  it 
is ;  how  pretty  it  is ;  what  makes  it  a  pretty  garden ;  how  it 
rewards  the  one  who  takes  care  of  it. 

II.  A  Window  Garden.  —  Have  you  seen  the  tiny 
window  gardens  that  city  boys  and  girls,  who  love  to 
see  "  green  things  growing,"  make  for  themselves  ? 
Have  you  such  a  garden  in  your  schoolroom  ? 

Describe  a  ivindow  garden  you  have  seen.     Tell:  — 

Where  you  saw  it;  what  it  was  made  of;  what  grew  in  it; 
how  it  made  the  room  seem  indoors  ;  how  it  looked  out  of  doors. 

Do  passers-by  think  it  makes  the  street  or  road  more  attrac- 
tive? 

Remember.  —  In  describing  a  thing  you  try  to  make  some 
one  else  see  exactly  what  you  see  in  it  at  a  given  moment. 


AN  EXERCISE  IN  STORY-TELLING  31 

Written  Exercise.  —  Select  a  topic  named  above. 
Choose  the  one  you  know  most  about.  Write  on  the 
blackboard  a  paragraph  about  it. 


27 


AX  EXERCISE  IN  STORY-TELLIXG 

Hans  Christian  Andersen  wrote  a  charming  fairy 
tale  called  "  Five  in  One  Pod."     In  it  he  says  :  — 

There  were  once  five  peas  in  one  pod.  They  were  green, 
the  pod  was  green,  the  vine  was  green,  the  leaves  were  green, 
and  so  they  thought  that  all  the  world  was  green  —  and  did 
they  not  have  a  right  to  think  so? 

Weeks  went  by.  The  pod  became  yellow,  and  the  peas, 
too,  became  yellow.  "  All  the  world  is  turning  yellow,"  said 
they  —  and  had  they  not  a  right  to  say  so? 

Crack !  the  pod  burst,  and  all  five  peas  rolled  out  into  the 
bright  sunshine.     There  they  lay  in  a  little  child's  hand. 

"  Just  the  thing  for  my  pea  shooter,"  said  the  boy.  He  put 
one  in  at  once  and  away  it  flew. 

What  became  of  the  pea  ?  If  you  read  Andersen's 
story,  you  will  learn.  Can  you  tell  a  story  of  your 
own,  relating  what  became  of  another  of  the  peas  ? 

Oral  Exercise.  —  Do  all  brothers  and  sisters  in  a 
.'amily  have  the  same  experiences  when  they  grow 
up? 


Tell  what  you  know  about  this. 
Be  sure  to  use  complete  sentences. 


32 


LESSONS  IN  ENGLISH 


Sentence  Exercise.  —  Pick  out  a  declarative  se7itence 
from  each  group  in  the  story.  With  what  kind  of 
letter  should  every  sentence  begin  ?  With  what 
mark  should  every  declarative  sentence  close  ? 

Change  the  sentences  selected  to  questions. 


\^ 

f 

■*^M 

Plowing. 


28 

THE   STUDY  OF  A   PICTURE 

I.  Look  carefidly  at  the  picture  "  Plowing."  The 
picture  is  a  fine  one,  and  yet  how  simple  it  is  !  What 
work  is  going  on  ?  Who  are  doing  it  ?  Where  do 
you  see  the  results  of  it  ?  Of  what  use  is  it  ?  Is 
such  work  done  in  our  country  ?     How  is  it  done  ? 

II.  What  season  of  the  year  is  shown  ?  How 
would  the  use  of  colors  make  this  fact  plainer  to  you  ? 
What  colors  did  the  artist  see  in  the  fields,  hillside, 


WHEAT  33 

sky,  while  painting  ?     What  changes  are  seen  in  the 
landscape  in  early  spring  ?  in  October  ?  in  midwinter  ? 
III.    Find  out  all  that  you  can  about  the    artist. 
Learn  what  her  favorite  subjects  for  painting  were. 

Tell  all  you  can  about  the  picture. 

Written  Description.  —  Describe  the  picture  on  page 
32.     Use  the  following  outline  to  guide  you  :  — 

1.  The  subject.  3.   The  time. 

2.  The  place.  4.   The  workers. 

End  the  description  by  telling  your  real  feeling 
about  the  picture,  and  what  you  learn  from  it  about 
the  artist's  feeling.     F'md  use  for  these  expressions :  — 

1.  the  rude  plow.  3.    before  the  sun.  5.    rich  brown. 

2.  in  France.  4.    deep  furrows.  6.    upturned. 


29 


whi<:at 

Who  has  seen  wheat  growing  ?     Where  ?     When  ? 

Whose  labor  gives  this  grain  to  us  ?  Whose  labor 
gives  us  the  flour  ?  the  bread  ? 

The  picture  on  page  32  shows  the  first  step  in  a 
long  process.  Discuss  and  illustrate  this  and  other 
steps,  as  follows  :  — 

1.  Growing.  3.   Distributing. 

2.  Harvesting.  4.    Using. 


34  LESSONS  IN  ENGLISH 


30 


A   STORY   TO   BE   WRITTEN  STEP   BY  STEP 
A  loaf  of  bread  talks  :  — 

1.  When  I  was  a  tiny  grain  — 

2.  I  shall  never  forget  my  travels  to  the  mill  — 

3.  Once  in  the  mill,  I  thought  my  troubles  over,  but  - 

4.  At  last  I  became  acquainted  with  the  baker.     He  - 

Write  the  story  suggested  above. 


31^ 

OCTOBER'S   BRIGHT   BLUE   WEATHER 
Word  Pictures  in  Verse 

0  suns  and  skies  and  clouds  of  June, 
And  flowers  of  June  together. 
Ye  cannot  rival  for  one  hour 
October's  bright  blue  weather ; 

When  loud  the  bumblebee  makes  haste, 

Belated,  thriftless  vagrant, 

And  goldenrod  is  dying  fast, 

And  lanes  with  grapes  are  fragrant ; 

When  gentians  roll  their  fringes  tight 
To  save  them  for  the  morning. 
And  chestnuts  fall  from  satin  burs 
Without  a  sound  of  warning; 

When  on  the  ground  red  apples  lie 
In  piles  like  jewels  shining. 
And  redder  still  on  old  stone  walls 
Are  leaves  of  woodbine  twining ; 


OCTOBER'S  BRIGHT   BLUE   WEATHER  35 

When  all  the  lovely  wayside  things 
Their  white-winged  seeds  are  sowing, 
And  in  the  fields,  still  green  and  fair, 
Late  aftermaths  are  growing ; 

When  springs  run  low,  and  on  the  brooks, 
In  idle  golden  freighting, 
Bright  leaves  sink  noiseless  in  the  hush 
Of  woods,  for  winter  waiting  ; 

When  comrades  seek  sweet  country  haunts, 
By  twos  and  twos  together, 
And  count  like  misers,  hour  by  hour, 
October's  bright  blue  weather. 

0  suns  and  skies  and  flowers  of  June, 
Count  all  your  boasts;,  together. 
Love  loveth  best  of  all  the  year 
October's  bright  blue  weather. 

—  H.  H. 

In  what  ways  may  June  and  October  be  rivals  ? 
Which  one  does  H.  H.  prefer  ?     Do  yon  agree  with  her  ? 

What  is  meant  by  "belated,  thriftless  vagrant"? 
What  "wayside  things"  do  you  think  lovely?  What 
is  meant  by"  late  aftermaths  "  ?  "in  idle  golden  freight- 
ing" ?  Have  you  ever  felt  the  "hush  of  woods"? 
What  comrade  do  you  like  best  to  take  into  the  fields 
and  woods  with  you? 

Read  the  poem  aloud.     Commit  it  to  m^emory. 
Select  a  stanza  and  illustrate  it. 


36  LESSONS   IN   ENGLISH 

32 

A    WORD   PICTURE   IN   PROSE 

Synonyms 

October !  Orchard  of  the  year !  Ripened  seeds  shake  in 
their  pods.  Apples  drop  in  the  stillest  hours.  Leaves  begin 
to  let  go  wjien  no  wind  is  out,  and  swing  in  long  waverings  to 
the  earth,  which  they  touch  without  sound,  and  lie  looking  up, 
till  winds  rake  them,  and  heap  them  in  fence  corners.  The 
woods  are  thinner,  so  that  we  can  see  the  heavens  plainer. 
The  days  are  calm.  The  nights  are  tranquil.  The  year's  work 
is  done.  She  walks  in  gorgeous  apparel,  looking  upon  her  long 
labor,  and  her  serene  eye  saith,  ''It  is  good." —  H.  W.  Beecher. 

Conversation.  —  What  name  is  the  key  to  the  mean- 
ing of  the  paragraph  given  above  ?  Why  should 
October  be  called  the  "  orchard  of  the  year"  ?  Is  it  so 
in  the  place  where  you  live  ?  In  what  other  ways  is 
the  description  true  to  nature  as  you  know  it  ?  Try 
to  think  what  is  meant  by  "stillest  hours,"  "long 
waverings/'  "gorgeous  apparel,"  "long  labor,"  "serene 
eye." 

Do  you  think  this  a  good  description  ?     Copy  it. 

Word  study 

Calm,  tranquil,  serene,  all  give  an  idea  of  quiet. 

Words  which  have  the  same  or  nearly  the  same  meaning  are 
called  synonyms.    Select  synonyms  used  in  the  above  paragraph. 


HOW  TO   USE  THE  DICTIONARY  37 


33 


HOW  TO   USE   THE   DICTIONARY 

You  often  meet  with  words  whose  exact  meaning 
is  not  clear  to  you.  At  such  times  you  are  tempted 
to  guess  at  the  meaning  rather  than  take  the  time 
and  trouble  to  consult  a  dictionary.  This  is  a  mis- 
take. Young  people  ought  to  be  constantly  increasing 
the  number  of  words  which  they  have  stored  up  in  the 
mind  ready  for  use.  A  person's  store  or  stock  of 
words  is  called  his  vocabulary,  A  person  who  has 
only  a  small  vocabulary  will  never  read  with  pleasure, 
write  with  ease,  or  talk  with  freedom. 

Suppose  you  wish  to  look  up  the  word  Vocabulary. 
As  all  words  in  the  dictionary  are  alphabetically 
arranged,  you  will  find  those  beginning  with  V  to- 
wards the  end.  You  notice  that  all  the  words  begin- 
ning with  that  letter  are  arranged  alphabetically  with 
reference  to  the  second  letter.  When  you  have  found 
the  words  beginning  with  Vo,  follow  the  column  down 
to  the  word  Vocabulary. 

Often,  time  will  be  saved  by  noticing  the  third 
letter.  Thus,  the  words  beginning  with  Li  cover 
many  pages,  and  if  you  wish  to  find  the  word  Invite, 
the  third  letter  v  tells  you  to  turn  to  the  last  part  of 
this  long  list. 

Nearly  every  word  in  the  English  language  has 
several  meanings  or,  shades  of  meaning.      You  must 


38  LESSONS  IN  ENGLISH 

try  to  select  the  meaning  which  fits  the  word  as  you 
find  it  used  in  reading.  The  word  Vocabulary  is  de- 
fined as,  "  A  list  of  words  arranged  in  alphabetical 
order."  This  evidently  is  not  the  sense  in  which  the 
word  has  been  used  in  this  lesson.  Another  meaning 
is :  "  The  sum  or  stock  of  words  employed  by  a  per- 
son."    This  definition  fits  our  need  exactly. 

Exercise.  —  Consult  a  dictionary  to  find  syyionyms 
for  any  ten  loords  given  on  page  36. 

34 


AN  EXERCISE   IN  SILENT   READING 

Do  you  know  where  Egypt  is?  Have  you  ever  seen  a 
picture  of  that  grim  monster,  the  Sphinx  ?  She  was  the  most 
famous  riddle  maker  in  the  world.  Half  lion  and  half  woman, 
she  sat  speechless  except  when  there  fell  from  her  cruel  lips 
this  question,  "What  is  that  animal  which  walks  on  four  legs 
in  the  morning,  on  two  at  noon,  and  on  three  at  night  ?  " 
Woe  to  the  person  who  had  no  correct  answer  to  give  her ! 
The  Sphinx  ate  him  alive. 

One  day  a  very  wise  man  came  her  way.  The  Sphinx 
asked  him  the  usual  question.  She  was  already  thinking  what 
a  fine  tidbit  he  would  make,  when,  to  her  surprise,  he  gave  the 
right  answer !  "  Man,"  he  said.  "  When  he  is  a  child,  he 
crawls  on  hands  and  feet;  that  is  the  morning  of  life:  when 
he  becomes  a  man,  he  walks  erect  on  two  feet;  that  is  the 
noon  of  his  life  :  when  he  is  old,  he  leans  on  his  cane,  and  that 
is  the  evening  of  his  life."  It  made  the  Sphinx  so  angry  to 
have  her  riddle  guessed  that  she  killed  herself,  and  so  the 
world  was  rid  of  a  terrible  monster. 


AN  EXERCISE  IN   SILENT  READING 


39 


I.  Oral  Exercises.  —  Find  Egypt  on  the  map.  Who 
was  the  Sphinx  f  Describe  her  appearance.  What 
question  did  the  Sphinx  ask  ?  What  is  the  coiTect 
answer  ?  Who  gave  it  ?  What  happened  ?  Is  this 
a  true  story?     Tell  it  from  beginning  to  end. 

II.  Paragraph  Study.  —  Suggest  a  good  title  for 
the  selection.  How  many  paragraphs  does  it  contain  ? 
What  is  told  in  each  paragraph  ? 

III.  Sentence  Exercises.  —  Copy  tivo  interrogative 
sentences  used  in  the  story. 

Write  five  questions  suggested  by  the  story, 

IV.  Picture  Study.  —  Study  and  discuss  the  pic- 
ture.     Write  a  description  of  it. 


The  Si-Hi-Nx. 


40  LESSONS  IN  ENGLISH 

35 

HOME   PREPARATIONS   FOR   WINTER 
Exercises  in  Sentence  Grouping 

I.  Combine  the  folloiving  sentences  to  form  a  para- 
graph about  home  preparations  for  ivinter. 

October  is  over  and  gone. 

Days  grow  shorter. 

The  season  grows  colder. 

Father  sends  home  potatoes  and  apples. 

Mother  finds  a  place  to  store  them. 

Mother  gets  out  warmer  clothing. 

Lamps  are  lighted  early. 

Windows  are  closed. 

Doors  are  closed. 

Does  each  sentence  of  the  paragraph  relate  to  the 
subject  named  above  ?  Read  the  paragraph  aloud. 
Has  it  a  pleasing  sound  ?  Are  the  things  spoken  of 
in  a  good  order  ? 

Copy  the  paragraph  into  your  notebook  to  be  used 
again.  Can  you  think  of  other  sentences  to  add  to 
the  above  list  ? 

II.  Write  sentences  telling  ivhat  is  done  at  home  ivhen 
spring  comes.  Combine  the  seiitences  to  form  a  para- 
graph.      Correct  aiid  copy  the  paragraph. 

III.  Write  sentences  about  one  or  more  topics  chosen 
by  the  teacher.  Build  paragraphs  as  above  by  making 
suitable  sentences  aiid  then  arranging  them  in  good 
order. 


TBEE8  — PARAGRAPH   WRITING  41 


36 


BIRDS  — PARAGRAPH   WRITING 

I.  Write  a  paragraph  telling  what  you  have  observed 
about  birds  in  autumn. 

What  do  these  notes  suggest  to  you  ? 

Days  grow  shorter,  colder  —  number  of  birds — songs  —  flocks 
in  sky  —  some  brave  birds  —  food  —  cold. 

II.  In  the  spring,  write  a  paragraph  as  follows  :  — 

Days  lengthen  —  birds  return  —  songs  —  cold  snaps  —  nest- 
ing—  joyous  carohng. 

Make  every  word  perfect  in  spelling,  every  sentence 
perfect  in  the  use  of  capital  letters  and  closing 
marks.  Be  sure  that  every  sentence  is  interesting. 
Arrange  tl^e  sentences  in  the  best  order.  When 
all  the  above  have  been  approved  by  the  teacher, 
cojjy  the  paragraph  into  your  notebook. 

37 


TREES  — PARAGRAPH  WRITING 

I.  Write  and  copy  a  paragraph  telling  ivhat  you 
have  observed  about  trees  in  autumn.     Speak  of:  — 

Days   short,  grow  colder  —  frost  —  painting   the   leaves  — 
looking  up   at  sky  through   leaves  —  wind  —  branches,  buds. 

II.  In  the  spring,  write  about :  — 
Mounting  of  sap  —  bursting  of  buds  —  flowering. 


42  LESSONS  IN  ENGLISH 

38 

THE   STUDY  OF   A   PICTURP] 

Look  long  at  this  heautiful  picture.  Feel  the  quiet 
of  the  evening  if  you  can.  Study  well  the  sturdy 
man,  strong  yet  weary  from  his  long  day's  toil. 
Note  the  road;  the  fine  trees ;  the  stream,  chattering 
with  joy  and  reflecting  the  evening  glow. 


vf^^^^^    #iiS, -.'                            ^''^^^^-'-----^-ircr^fe 

End  of  Day 


Find  these  things  in  the  picture,  if  you  can,  and  then 
tell  about  them.     Can  you  name  the  trees  ? 

Written  Exercise.  —  Make  a  note  of  the  objects  you 
see  in  the  picture.     Arrange  the  notes  in  good  order. 
Write  out  carefully  ivhat  you  think  about  each  one. 


AN    EXERCISE    IN    DESCRIPTION  43 

39 

THE   TREE 

The  Tree's  early  leaf  buds  were  bursting  their  brown ; 

"  Shall  I  take  them  away  ?  "  said  the  Frost,  sweeping  down. 

"  No,  leave  them  alone 

Till  the  blossoms  have  grown," 
Prayed  the  Tree,  while  he  trembled  from  rootlet  to  crown. 

The  Tree  bore  his  blossoms,  and  all  the  birds  sung ; 

*'  Shall  I  take  them  away  ?  "  said  the  Wind,  as  he  swung. 

*'  No,  leave  them  alone 

Till  the  berries  have  grown," 
Said  the  Tree,  while  his  leaflets  quivering  hung. 

The  Tree  bore  his  fruit  in  the  midsummer  glow : 
Said  the  girl,  "  May  I  gather  thy  berries  now  ?  " 
"  Yes,  all  thou  canst  see  : 
Take  them  ;  all  are  for  thee," 
Said  the  Tree,  while  he  bent  down  his  laden  boughs  low. 

—  Bjornson. 

Memorize  the  above  poem.     Try  to  picture  the  tree 
as  described  in  each  stanza.     What  tree  shall  it  be? 


40 


EXERCISES   IN   DESCRIPTION 

Study  one  of  the  trees  pictured  on  page  45. 

1.  Name.  5.  Trunk  —  surface  and  division. 

2.  Location.  6.  Branches  —  arrangement. 

3.  Size  —  height.  7.  Leaves  —  evergreen  or  deciduous. 

4.  General  shape.  8.  Characteristics  and  uses. 


44  LESSONS    IN    ENGLISH 

Description.  —  Without  telling  its  name,  describe  the 
tree  you  have  choseyi ;  follow  the  plan  given  07i  j^cige 
43.  Let  your  classmates  guess  the  name  from 
your  description. 

Written  Exercise.  —  Learn  ivhat  you  can  about 
some  different  kinds  of  tvood.  Tlie  following  may 
help  you  in  writing  a  composition :  — 

1.  Is  the  wood  hard  or  soft,  weak  or  strong  ? 

2.  What  use  is  made  of  the  wood?  Learn  what  kind  of 
wood  is  used  in  some  of  the  following:  wagons,  cars,  furni- 
ture, barrels,  baskets,  boxes,  flooring,  shingles,  shoe  lasts, 
boats,  lead  pencils,  railroad  ties,  fence  posts,  paper  pulp. 

Exercise  in  Reading.  —  Bead  the  folloiving  selection 
very  carefully.  Do  you  know  the  meaning  of  every 
word  ? 

A  small  Ked  Maple  has  grown  unobserved,  far  away  at  the 
head  of  a  retired  valley,  a  mile  from  any  road.  It  has  faith- 
fully performed  all  the  duties  of  a  maple  there,  and  is  nearer 
heaven  than  it  was  in  the  spring.  It  has  faithfully  husbanded 
its  sap,  given  a  shelter  to  the  wandering  birds,  and  has  long 
since  ripened  its  seeds  and  committed  them  to  the  wind.  And 
now,  in  the  month  of  September,  it  runs  up  its  scarlet  flag  on 
the  hiUside,  which  shows  that  its  summer  work  is  done. 

Word  Study 

Unobserved  means  minoticed. 
Retired  means  far  away  from  people. 
Husbanded  means  used  carefully. 


Wkeping  Elm. 


Silver  Bibch. 


45 


46 


LESSONS  IN  ENGLISH 


41- 


FUR  BEARERS  —  PARAGRAPH  WRITING 

I.  Write  a  paragraph  telling  how  sqidrrels  and 
other  fur-hearing  animals  prepare  for  the  luinter. 
Copy  the  paragraph  into  your  notebook.     Speak  of:  — 

Days  grow  shorter — colder  —  fur  covering — shelter — good 
hiding  places  —  storehouses  —  long  sleep. 

II.  Write  a  paragrap)h  telling  lohen  and  how  these 
animals  escape  from  their  winter  quarters. 


42 

INSECTS  — PARAGRAPH  WRITING 

I.  Write  a  paragraph   telling  how  insects  prepare 
for  ivinter.     Correct  and  copy  the  paragraph.     Note  : 

Cold  —  enemies  —  bees  —  caterpillars. 

II.  Show  how  insects  leave  their  snug  winter  homes. 


CHILD'S  PLAY  47 

43 

CHILD'S  PLAY 

I  will  now  describe  a  game  that  gave  Antoinette  and  me 
the  greatest  pleasure  during  two  delightful  summers. 

AVe  pretended  to  be  two  caterpillars,  and  crept  along  flat  on 
the  ground,  hunting  for  leaves  to  eat.  After  doing  that  a  long 
time,  we  played  that  we  were  sleepy,  oh,  so  sleepy !  We  lay 
down  in  a  corner  and  covered  our  heads  with  our  aprons  —  we 
had  become  cocoons  !  If  any  one  had  listened  to  us,  he  would 
have  heard  us  say  something  like  this :  — 

"Do  you  think  that  you  will   soon 
be  able  to  fly  ? '' 

"  Oh,  yes  !  very  soon.     I  already  feel 
my  wings,  and  they'll  soon  unfold." 

At  last  we   woke  up,  stretched  our- 


selves, and  pretended  to  be  greatly  astonished.  Then  suddenly 
we  ran  lightly  about  on  tiptoes,  waving  our  aprons  as  if  they 
were  wings,  and  hastening  from  flower  to  flower. 

—  Pierre  Loti.     {Adapted.) 

Oral  Exercise.  —  Uxjjiain  the  game  these  children 
played.  How  did  they  learn  to  play  it  ?  How  old 
do  you  think  they  were  ? 

Explain  a  game  played  by  older  children. 


48 


LESSONS  IN  ENGLISH 


44 


COMPOSITION  —  TITLES 

Bead  from  your  notebook  the  paragraphs  called  for 
in  Exercise!,  of  Lessons  35,  36,  37,  41,  42. 

Put  the  j^ciragraphs  together  to  form  a  composition 
tvith  one  of  these  titles :  — 

1.  Autumn. 

2.  When  All  Things  Lie  down  to  Sleep. 

3.  How  Nature  Prepares  for  Winter. 

4.  The  Fall  of  the  Year. 

What  name  or  subject  has  each  paragraph  ? 
Write  the  subjects  in  order.     Observe  that  the  sub- 


HUMBLE  HELPERS  49 

jects  tell  you  what  parts  or  topics  the  composition 
has.  When  written  in  order,  they  form  a  plan,  or 
outline,  of  the  composition. 

Observe  how  the  titles  given  above  are  printed. 
What  is  the  rnle  for  writing  such  titles  ? 

Can  you  combine  into  one  composition  the  para- 
graphs called  for  in  Exercise  2  of  the  lessons 
referred  to  ?     What  is  a  proper  title  for  it  ? 

Word  study 
Composition  means  putting  together. 


46 


HUMBLE   HELPERS 
Exercises  in  Composition 

I.  Learn  by  observation  or  from  your  teacher  how 
birds,  bees,  and  toads  are  useful  to  man.  W^ite  the 
result  of  your  investigations. 

II.  Each  of  the  following  has  a  lesson  to  teach 
you.  Select  one  of  the  humble  forms  of  life;  ask 
others  what  they  know  about  it ; 
tell,  in  exchange,  what  you  have 
observed  or  read  :  — 

1.  The  Snail  —  where  it  is  found, 
its  food,  manner  of  feeding,  parts, 
movements  from  place  to  place,  trail 


50 


LESSONS  IN  ENGLISH 


on  leaves  and  elsewhere,  enemies,  means  of  defense, 
a  character  in  literature  and  folklore. 

2.  The  Eartlnvorm  —  where  it  is  found,  form, 
color,  food,  parts  or  segments,  usefulness,  enemies. 
How  is  an  earthworm  like,  how  is  it  unlike,  a  cater- 
pillar ? 

3.  The  Ladyhug  —  where  found,  appearance,  parts, 
food,  how   it   helps    in    destroying  harmful  insects. 

Refer  to  poems  you  may  know. 

4.    The  Sjpider  —  web,  prey,  ene- 
mies, means  of  defense,   ^gg   cases, 
hatching    of    eggs,    harmless     and 
harmful    members     of     the    spider 
]    family.     Stories. 


t^j^'  'i^&M^^fr\  \  I 


Written  Exercise.  —  Which  of  the  foregoing  have 
you  studied  the  most  thoroughly?  Write  a  life  his- 
tory of  it.     Be  sure  to  speah  of  thhigs  in  a  good  order. 

Expression  by  Hand.  —  Embellish  your  work  with 
drawings  or  pictures,  carefully  chosen  and  placed 
attractively. 

46 


PUMPKINS 
Observation  and  Conversation 

Bring  a  pumpkin  into  the  class. 
How  does  it  look  ?     Think  of  its  size,  shape,  color, 
ridges,  stem. 


PUMPKINS 


51 


As  a  rule  where  do  small  fruits  like  raspberries 
grow  ?  large  fruits  like  apples  ?  the  largest  fruits  like 
pumpkins  ?  Give  reasons  for  this.  Where  do  farm- 
ers usually  plant  pumpkins  ? 

Cut  the  pumpkin  open.  What  comes  next  inside 
the  yellow  shell  ?     What  comes  next  to  that  ?     How 


would  you  describe  it?  What  does  this  pulp  con- 
tain ? 

What  is  the  shape  and  size  of  the  seed  ?  What  is 
inside  the  seed  ?  What  is  the  use  of  this  starchy 
substance  ? 

Uses  of  pumpkins.  Food  for  men  and  cattle, 
especially  cows.  How  prepared  for  each.  Fun  for 
children  on  Hallowe'en. 

Can  you  picture  the  pumpkins  scattered  over  a  field 
after  the  autumn  frosts  ? 


52  LESSONS  IN  ENGLISH 

Written  Exercise Write  a  composition  about  the 

purri'p'kin.     Work  in  a  drawing  of  the  whole  pump- 
kin and  of  one  of  the  halves. 


47- 


WINTER 
Paragraph  and  Sentence  Study- 
But  the  days  go  by.  The  snow  drifts.  Fences  are  banked 
up  ten  feet  high.  Hills  are  broken  into  a  '^  coast "  for  boys' 
sleds.  They  glide  and  pull  up  again  and  toil  on  in  their  slippery 
pleasure.  They  tumble  over  and  turn  over ;  they  break  down, 
or  smash  up ;  they  run  into  each  other,  or  run  races  in  all  the 
moods  and  experiences  of  rugged  frolic.  Then  comes  the  dig- 
ging of  chambers  in  the-  deep  drifts,  room  upon  room,  the 
water  dashed  on  over  night  freezing  the  snow  walls  into  solid 
ice.  Forts  also  are  built  and  huge  balls  of  snow  rolled  up,  till 
the  little  hands  can  roll  the  mass  no  longer.  —  Hexky  Ward 
Beecher. 

Conversation. — Does  the  selection  tell  about  ex- 
periences familiar  to  you  ?  To  what  season  does  it 
refer  ?  How  are  your  experiences  like  those  described? 
How  are  they  different  ?  Which  is  your  favorite 
season  ?     Why  ? 

Sentence  Study.  —  How  many  sentences  does  this 
paragraph  contain  ?  What  kind  of  sentence  is  each  ? 
Select  two  short  sentences  and  change  them  to  the 
interrogative  form.     To  the  exclamatory  form. 


REVIEW  53 


48 


AN   EXERCISE   IN  PLANNING   AND    WRITING 

Make  plans  for  a  composition  on  lointer  sports. 

Let  the  girls  make  one  plan  and  the  boys  a  dif- 
ferent one.     Why  ? 

When  satisfactory  plans  have  been  made,  write  a 
spirited  composition.  Add  to  the  interest  of  your 
work  by  using  the  best  pictures  you  can  find  in  news- 
papers or  magazines,  or  by  making  drawings  of  your 
own. 

49 

REVIEW 

1.  What  is  a  sentence  ?     Make  one. 

2.  With  what  kind  of  letter  do  all  sentences  begin? 

3.  What  is  a  declarative  sentence  ?     Give  one. 

4.  How  do  declarative  sentences  end  ? 

5.  What  is  an  interrogative  sentence  ?     Give  two. 

6.  How  do  interrogative  sentences  end  ? 

7.  What  is  an  imperative  sentence  ?     Give  two. 

8.  How  do  imperative  sentences  usually  end  ? 

9.  When  are  sentences  said  to  be  exclamatory  ?     Example. 

10.  How  do  exclamatory  sentences  end? 

11.  What  is  a  paragraph? 

12.  What  is  meant  by  indentation  ? 

13.  How  does  indentation  help  the  reader  ? 

14.  W^hat  words  have  the  same  or  nearly  the  same  meaning 
as  the  following :  great,  small,  pretty. 

15.  What  is  narration  ? 

16.  What  is  a  description  ? 


54  LESSONS  IN  ENGLISH 


50 


LITTLE   LESSONS  IN   HISTORY 

I.  Study  the  picture  on  the  next  page. 

What  story  relating  to  the  history  of  our  country 
does  it  suggest  to  you  ? 

Study  the  picture  carefully  to  gain  thoughts  about 
the  dress  of  the  people,  the  dangers  they  had  to  meet, 
their  dispositions  and  customs,  the  climate  to  which 
they  were  exposed.    Write  a  description  of  the  picture. 

II.  Plan  and  ivrite  a  story  about  the  folloioing  :  — 

1.  Old  England  and  New  England  —  king  and  people. 

2.  In  Holland — the  people  and  the  mother  tongue. 

3.  Preparing  f 07^  America  —  ships,  food,  clothing,  tools. 

4.  The  voyage  —  how  long  did  it  take  ?    What  happened  ? 

5.  Tlie  landing  of  the  Pilgrims  —  place,  season,  date. 

6.  Founding  neiv  home  —  work  to  be  done,  workers,  tools. 

7.  Life  in  a  new  country  —  danger,  discomfort,  disease. 

8.  Relations  with  Indians  —  results  of  kindness. 

9.  Spring  and  summer  work,  autunm  feasting. 
10.  The  first  Thanksgiving  —  its  meaning. 

III.  Study  the  foHoiving  notes.  Use  them  as  an 
outline  for  "  A  Little  History  of  Old  Glory." 

1.  Long,  long  ago — many  flags.     One  flag  chosen  as  the 
American  flag  —  June  14,  1777,  Philadelphia. 

2.  Betsy  Ross  —  thirteen  stripes — thirteen  stars. 

3.  New  stars  in  the  flag;  where  the  flag  flies. 

4.  Meaning  of  the  colors  of  the  flag. 


John  Alden  and  Priscilla. 
65 


Jioiiyhtun. 


56 


LESSONS  IN  ENGLISH 


Attacked  by  Wolves. 


51 


A   PICTURE   LESSON 


Silent  Study.  —  Look  at  the  picture  shoivn  above. 
Look  again  at  "  The  End  of  Day."  Which  picture 
tells  a  story  of  peace  and  quiet  ?  Which  tells  a  story 
of  fierce  struggle  ?     What  do  you  see  that  tells  :  — 

The  time  of  year  and  the  time  of  day  ?  The  place  —  a 
lonely  plain  ?  The  characters  in  the  struggle  ?  The  fight 
itself,  how  will  it  end  ? 

Oral  Exercise.  —  Describe  the  picture  without  the 
help  of'  questions  or  directioiis  from  your  teacher. 
Listen  carefully  to  the  descriptions  given  by  other 
pupils.  Did  any  one  find  more  to  say  about  the  pic- 
ture than  you  did  ?  Perhaps  your  teacher  will  kindly 
describe  the  same  picture  for  you.  What  does  she 
find  to  say  that  none  of  the  pupils  thought  of  saying  ? 


A    STORY    SUGGESTED    BY   A    PICTURE  57 

52 

A  STORY  SUGGESTED  BY  A   PICTURE 

You  are  riding,  wrapped  up,  in  the  sledge  shown 
on  page  56.     Tell  the  story  of  the  ride,  narrating  :  — 

Where  it  began  —  when  it  began  —  what  happened  early  in 
the  day  —  the  snow  and  storm  —  how  the  road  became  more 
and  more  lonely  —  the  tracks  fainter  —  lost! 

The  coming  night  —  the  howling  of  the  wolves  —  the  tired 
horses  —  the  attack  —  your  feelings  —  wolves  on  both  sides  — 
the  last  half  mile  — the  horses  —  safe  at  last. 

What  sentences  express  strong  feeling  ?  Will  such 
sentences  add  spirit  to  your  story  ? 


53 


THE   WOLF 

Read  with  your  teacher  one  or  more  good  poems  or 
stories  about  wolves.  Discuss  what  you  read.  Use 
pictures  to  aid  in  this  work.  When  you  have 
mastered  facts  enough,  write  three  or  more  para- 
graphs as  follows :  — 

I.  Form  and  appearance :  resembles  what  household  pet  ? 

II.  Habits :  feeding,  hunting,  seizing  prey,  shelter  and  care 
of  young,  calls. 

III.  Distribution:  former  times,  at  present. 

IV.  Wolf  sto}-y  illustrating  some  ti-ait  in  the  character  or 
some  fixed  habit  of  this  animal. 


58  LESSONS  IN  ENGLISH 


54 


HOME,   SWEET   HOME 

A   Song 

'Mid  pleasures  and  palaces  though  we  may  roam, 

Be  it  ever  so  humble,  there's  no  place  like  home  ! 

A  charm  from  the  sky  seems  to  hallow  us  there, 

Which,  seek  through  the  world,  is  ne'er  met  with  elsewhere ! 

Home,  home  !  sweet,  sweet  home  ! 

There's  no  place  like  home ! 

There's  no  place  like  home ! 

An  exile  from  home,  splendor  dazzles  in  vain, 

Oh,  give  me  my  lowly  thatch'd  cottage  again  ! 

The  birds  singing  gayly,  that  came  at  my  call,  — 

Give  me  them,  —  and  the  peace  of  mind  dearer  than  all ! 

Home,  home  !   sweet,  sweet  home  ! 

There's  no  place  like  home ! 

There's  no  place  like  home! 

—  John  Howard  Payxe. 

Commit  this  song  to  me'inory,  if  you  do  not  already 
know  it. 

When  and  where  did  you  last  hear  it  sung  ? 

Perhaps  you  will  some  day  find  out  whether  the 
author  ever  had  his  longing  for  home  satisfied. 

56 


Dictation  Exercise 

If  wisdom's  ways  you'd  wisely  seek, 
Five  things  observe  with  care : 

Of  whom  you  speak,  to  whom  you  speak, 
And  how,  and  when,  and  where. 


CONTRACTIONS  59 

56 

CONTRACTIONS 
An  Exercise  in  Observation 
Find  in  Lesson  54  the  contractions  given  heloiv. 
Note  the  word  or  words  used  with  each  one :  — 

'mid  =  amid  there's     =  there  is 

ne'er  =  never  thatch'd  =  thatched 

The  apostrophe  (')  shows  the  omission  of  a  letter  or 
letters  in  each  case. 

Contractions  are  found  frequently  in  poetry. 

Remember.  —  An  apostrophe  should  be  used  in  contractions 
to  show  that  letters  are  omitted. 

Written  Exercises.  —I.    Copy  the  folloiving  contrac- 
tions.    Uxjolain  each  one  and  use  it  in  a  sentence. 

they're  =  they  are  you've  =  you  have 

didn't    =  did  not  'tis        =  it  is 

e'er        =  ever  o'er      =  over 

I'll         =  I  shall  or  I  will  'tisn't  =  it  is  not 

II.  Write  from  dictation  the  first  stanza  on  page  58. 

III.  Write  sentences,  using  such  contractions  as  your 
fracher  directs. 

IV.  Make  a  list  of  ten  contractions  not  given  above. 
Write  the  words  froin  which  each  contraction  is  formed. 


60  LESSONS  IN  ENGLISH 


57 


A  LESSON  IN   GOOD   FORM 

Study  carefully  the  cordractions  in  these  sentences:  — 

1.  You're  not  going  yet,  are  you  ? 

2.  You've  had  a  good  time,  haven't  you  ? 

3.  I'm  not  ready  to  go. 

4.  Don't  you  Avant  to  stay  ? 

5.  Doesn't  your  mother  know  where  you  are  ? 

What  does  each  contraction  stand  for  ? 
Dont  means  do  not,  and  is  used  thus:  — 

6.  I  don't  care.  9.    They  don't  lie. 

7.  You  don't  paint.  10.    Men  don't  fly. 

8.  We  don't  steal.  11.   Boys  don't  like  dolls. 

DoesnH  means  does  not,  and  is  used  thus  :  — 

12.  He  doesn't  dance.  15.    The  girl  doesn't  skate. 

13.  She  doesn't  swim.  16.    The  boy  doesn't  cook. 

14.  It  doesn't  snow.  17.    The  baby  doesn't  walk. 

The  troublesome  word  aint  should  never  be  used. 

Oral  Exercise Repeat  aloud    the    nurabered   sen- 
tences.    RevieiD  this  lesson  often. 

Written  Exercises. — I.  Write  sentences,  using  correctly 
the  words  am  not,  is  not,  are  not,  do  not,  does  not, 

II.  Write  your  sentences  a  second  thne,  using  contrac- 
tions in  place  of  the  ivords  given  in  Exercise  I, 

III.  Write  sentences  of  your  own,  using  correctly 
don't  and  doesn't. 


BITS   OF  LOCAL  LOBE  61 


58 


BITS  OF  LOCAL  LORE 
Conversation   and   Composition 

1.  What  is  the  name  of  the  place  in  which  you  live  ?  How 
did  this  name  originate  ?     Do  you  think  it  was  well  chosen  ? 

2.  AVhen  did  people  first  settle  here  ?  What  kind  of 
people  ?  Where  did  they  come  from  ?  How  did  they  travel  ? 
Why  did  they  choose  this  place  ?  What  names  are  associated 
with  the  settlement  ?  Are  these  names  found  in  the  city  or 
telephone  directory  now  ?  If  so,  do  they  belong  to  relatives 
of  the  early  settlers  ? 

3.  What  is  the  oldest  house  still  standing?  Who  built  it? 
For  what  purpose  ?  Who  owns  it  now  ?  What  use  is  made 
of  it  ?     Give  the  class  a  real  or  a  word  picture  of  it. 

4.  What  occupations  did  the  early  settlers  follow  ?  Have 
these  changed  ?  How  ?  Speak  of  the  work  of  men  and  of  women. 

5.  What  celebrations  occur  in  which  all  citizens  take  part  ? 
Describe  fully  the  most  interesting  one. 

6.  What  monuments,  tablets,  collections  of  interesting  ob- 
jects, if  any,  are  there  to  teach  you  young  people  about  the 
history  of  your  home  ?  Learn  all  that  you  can  from  these, 
from  your  elders,  from  books,  and  from  one  another,  to  supply 
you  with  thoughts  for  a  composition.  Use  the  title  of  this 
lesson  as  a  subject,  or  select  another  that  you  like  better. 

Exercises.  —  I.  What  does  the  first  group  of  ques- 
tions ask  about  f     Each  of  the  other  groups  f 

II.  Write  one  or  more  paragraphs  suggested  hy  the 
above  questions, 

III.  Write,  "  The  Story  of  a  Deserted  House." 


The  Meeting. 


C2 


PICTURE  STUDY  AND   COMPOSITION  63 


59 


PICTURE  STUDY   AND   COMPOSITION 

What  is  the  name  of  the  picture  ? 

Does  it  see  in  a  good  name  to  you  ? 

Do  you  know  what  these  street  boys  are  discussing 
in  this  obscure  corner  of  Paris  ?  Nothing  of  greater 
value  than  a  piece  of  string !  Think  what  you  could 
add  to  their  discussion.  Notice  how  cleverly  the 
artist  has  told  you  of  the  boys'  interest.  Faces, 
limbs,  attitudes  are  so  lifelike  that  you  feel  sure  every 
boy  will  presently  do  some  boyish  thing. 

What  will  each  do,  and  why  will  he  do  it  ? 

Exercises.  —  I.  Tell  orally  and  then  in  ivriting  all 
that  you  find  in  the  picture,  mentioning :  — 

1.  The  time,  place,  occasion  of  coming  together. 

2.  The  leader. 

3.  The  followers. 

4.  What  is  done. 

5.  How  the  meeting  breaks  up. 

Arrange  what  you  write  in  five  paragraphs. 
II.    Give  a  name  to  each  hoy.     Tell  something  he 
says  at  the  meeting. 

Word  study 

Do  these  words  express  what  you  see  in  the  picture  ?  Look 
them  up  in  a  dictionary. 

gamin  wide-awake  keen 

glib  alert  sharp-featured 


64  LESSONS   IN  ENGLISH 


60 


A  STORY   TO   BE   RETOLD 

There  was  a  little  boy  of  whom  Longfellow  was  very  fond, 
and  who  came  often  to  see  him.  One  day  the  child  looked 
earnestly  at  the  long  rows  of  books  in  the  library,  and  at 
length  said,  "  Have  you  got  '  Jack  the  Giant  Killer '  ?  " 
Longfellow  was  obliged  to  confess  that  his  library  did  not 
contain  that  venerated  volume.  The  little  boy  looked  very 
sorry,  and  presently  slipped  down  from  his  knee  and  went 
away  ;  but  early  the  next  morning,  Longfellow  saw  him  com- 
ing up  the  walk  with  something  tightly  clasped  in  his  little 
fists.  The  child  had  brought  him  two  cents  with  which  he 
was  to  buy  a  "  Jack  the  Giant  Killer  "  to  be  his  own. 

—  Annie  Fields,  "Authors  and  Eriends.^' 

Bead  this  story.     Decide  upon  a  good  title  for  it. 
Tell  the  story,  mentioning  these  points :  — 

The  characters  in  the  story  —  where  they  were  —  the  little 
boy's  question  —  Longfellow's  answer  to  it  and  what  it  caused 
the  little  boy  to  do. 

61 


HOW  QUOTATIONS  ARE  PUNCTUATED 

As  you  saw  in  the  last  lesson,  a  writer  sometimes 
uses  or  quotes  the  exact  words  of  another  person. 
Words  so  used  are  called  quotations,  and  when  they 
are  written  they  must  be  inclosed  in  quotation  marks  : 

1.  James  said,  "  I  heard  the  bell  ring." 

2.  Mother  asked,  "  Who  is  at  the  door  ?  " 

3.  James  exclaimed,  "  It's  Uncle  Sam  !  " 

What  separates  each  quotation  from  other  words  ? 


A    LESSON    FOR    PRACTICE  65 

What  is  the  quotation  in  the  first  sentence  ?  The 
quotation  is  a  statement ;  quotation  marks  inclose  the 
statement  and  the  period  with  which  it  ends. 

What  is  the  quotation  in  the  second  sentence  ? 
The  quotation  is  a  direct  question ;  quotation  marks 
inclose  both  question  and  interrogation  point. 

What  is  the  quotation  in  the  third  sentence  ?  The 
quotation  is  an  exclamation ;  quotation  marks  inclose 
both  quotation  and  exclamation  point. 

Written  Exercise.  —  Copy  the  numbered  sentences. 
Write  them  from  dictation. 


62 


A   LESSON   FOR  PRACTICE 

I.  Listen  to  questions  asked  hy  two  pupils  whom. 
your  teacher  will  name.  Repeat  exactly  what  each  one 
says.  What  kind  of  sentence  does  each  one  give  ? 
Write  each  question  as  a  quotation  in  this  form  :  — 

asked,  " ?  "         inquired,  " ?  " 

II.  Listen  to  statements  made  by  pupils.  Repeat 
exactly  what  each  pupil  says.  What  kind  of  sentence 
does  each  one  give  ?     Write  each  as  a  quotation  :  — 

said,  " ."        declared,  " ." 

III.  Listen  to  exclamations  made  by  two  pupils. 
Are  the  exclamations  complete  sentences  ?  Write 
each  as  a  quotation  ;  thus, — 

cried,  " !  "         shouted,  " !  " 


Q6  LESSONS  IN  ENGLISH 


63 


QUOTATIONS   AT   THE   BEGINNING  OF   SENTENCES 

Study  these  sentences  carefully  :  — 

1.  "  Whose  typewriter  is  this  ?  "  asked  Charles. 

2.  "  It's  Gordon's/'  said  Albert. 

3.  "  How  I'd  like  one  !  "  exclaimed  Charles. 

What  quotations  do  you  find  in  the  sentences  ? 
In  what  position  in  the  sentence  do  you  find  each 
quotation  ?  Observe  carefully  how  each  quotation  is 
punctuated. 

Written  Exercise.  —  Copy  the  numbered  sentences. 
Write  them  from  dictation.  Use  them  as  a  guide  in 
ivriting  similar  quotations. 


64 


DIVIDED   QUOTATIONS 

1.  ''Where  did  you  get  your  typewriter,  Gordon  ?  "  asked 
Charles. 

2.  "  My  father  gave  it  to  me,"  replied  Gordon  ;  "  it  was  a 
Christmas  present.     Isn't  it  a  fine  one  ?  " 

3.  "  I  should  say  so  !  "  exclaimed  Charles.  "  I  wish  some 
one  would  give  me  such  a  present." 

Observe  that  the  quotation  in  the  second  sentence  is 
a  divided  quotation.  Which  words  do  not  form  a 
part  of  what  Gordon  said  ?  How  are  these  words 
separated   from   the   quotation  ?     W^hat  part  of  the 


TUE   IMPORTANT    CORP  OB  AL  67 

quotation  comes  before  these  words  ?  Notice  that 
quotation  marks  inclose  this  j^ctrt.  What  follows  the 
words,  replied  Gordon  f  Notice  that  quotation  marks 
inclose  all  that  folloivs.  How  many  pairs  of  quotation 
marks  are  used  in  the  sentence  ? 

Written  Exercise.  —  Copy  the  second  and  third  sen- 
tences.     Write  them  from  dictation. 

65 


THE  IMPORTANT   CORPORAL 

During  the  American  war,  the  leader  of  a  little  band  of 
soldiers  was  giving  orders  to  those  under  him,  about  a  heavy 
beam  that  they  were  endeavoring  to  raise  to  the  top  of  some 
military  works  which  they  were  repairing.  The  weight  was 
almost  beyond  their  power  to  raise,  and  the  voice  of  the  super- 
intendent was  often  heard  shouting,  "  Heave  away !  There  it 
goes!  Heave  ho!"  An  officer,  not  in  military  costume,  was 
passing,  and  asked  the  superintendent  why  he  did  not  render  a 
little  aid. 

The  officer,  astonished,  turned  round  with  all  the  pomp  of 
an  emperor,  and  said,  "  Sir,  I  am  a  corporal ! " 

"I  ask  your  i)ardon,  Mr.  Corporal,"  answered  the  stranger, 
and  taking  off  his  hat  he  bowed,  saying,  "I  was. not  aware  of 
that."  Upon  this  he  dismounted,  and  pulled  till  the  sweat 
stood  in  drops  on  his  forehead.  And  when  the  beam  was 
raised,  turning  to  the  little  great  man,  he  said,  "  Mr.  Corporal, 
when  you  have  another  such  job,  and  have  not  men  enough, 
send  for  your  commander  in  chief,  and  I  will  gladly  come  and 
help  you."  The  corporal  was  thunderstruck.  It  was  Wash- 
ington. 


68  LESSONS  IN  ENGLISH 

What  sort  of  man  was  the  corporal  ?  Why  do  you 
think  so  ?  How  did  he  feel  when  he  found  that  he 
had  been  talking  to  Washington  ?     Tell  the  story. 

What  quotations  are  used  in  the  story?  Whose 
words  are  quoted  in  each  case  ?  How  is  each 
quotation  punctuated? 

66 


A  USE   OF   THE   COMMA 

Write  these  sentences :  — 

Sir,  I  am  a  corporal ! 

I  ask  your  pardon,  Mr.  Corporal. 

Who  is  addressed  or  spoken  to  in  each  sentence  ? 

In  each  case  how  is  the  w^ord  naming  the  one 
addressed  set  oft'  or  separated  from  the  rest  of  the 
sentence  ? 

Rule.  —  The  name  of  a  person  addressed  should  be  sepa- 
rated from  the  rest  of  the  sentence  by  a  comma  or  commas. 

Exercises. — I.  From  the  stories  on  pages  6  and 
27,  read  aloud  all  sentences  containiiig  the  name  of 
a  person  addressed.  How  is  the  name  set  off  from 
the  rest  of  the  sentence? 

n.  Copy  these  sentences,  placing  commas  where  they 
are  needed :  — 

1.  Why  Grandma  how  you're  winking! 

2.  Little  one  come  to  my  knee. 

3.  Pretty  maid  what's  your  name  ? 

4.  0  mists  make  room  for  me. 


THE  MONKEY  AND   THE  CATS 


69 


67 

THE  MOXKEY  AND   THE   CATS 
Reproduction 
Bead  the  following  story  silently  :  — 

Two  hungry  cats,  having  stolen  some  cheese,  could  not  agree 
between  themselves  how  to  divide  it.  Therefore  they  went  to 
law,  and  a  cunning  monkey  was  asked  to  be  judge  and  settle 
their  dispute. 

The  monkey  put  two  pieces  of  cheese  into  some  scales  to  see 


if  they  were  of  equal  weight.  "  Let  me  see,"  said  the  judge, 
with  a  sly  look.  ''This  slice  weighs  more  than  the  other;" 
and  with  that  he  bit  off  a  large  piece. 

"  Why  do  you  bite  our  cheese  ?  "  asked  the  cats. 


70  LESSONS  IN  ENGLISH 

"  Because,"  said  the  monkey,  "  I  must  see  that  neither  one 
of  you  gets  more  than  her  share." 

The  other  scale  had  now  become  too  heavy ;  so  the  honest 
judge  helped  himself  to  a  second  mouthful.  Thus  he  nibbled 
first  one  piece  and  then  the  other  till  the  poor  cats,  seeing 
their  cheese  in  a  fair  way  to  be  all  eaten  up,  most  humbly 
begged  him  not  to  put  himself  to  any  further  trouble,  but  to 
give  them  what  still  remained. 

"  Not  by  any  means  !  "  said  the  monkey.  "  I  owe  justice 
to  myself  as  well  as  to  you,  and  what  remains  is  due  to  me  as 
the  lawyer."  Upon  this  he  crammed  the  whole  into  his  mouth 
at  once  and  very  gravely  broke  up  the  court. 

Conversation.  —  AYhat  were  the  cats  disputing 
about?  Who  was  asked  to  act  as  judge?  How  did 
he  manage  the  case  ?  How  did  the  affair  end  ? 
What  does  the  fable  teach  ? 

Exercise.  —  Bead  the  story  aloud  and  then  tell  it  in 
class. 

Word  study 

Find  the  following  words  in  the  last  selection, 
arrange  them  in  a  column,  and  opposite  each  word 
write  another  word  liaving  the  same  sound  but  differ- 
ing in  spelling  and  in  meaning ;  as,  some,  sum. 

two  their  so  owe 

some  see  fair  due 

not  weighs  all  whole 

Continue  the  same  practice  with  these  words : 

feet  soul  capitol  steak 

one  team  reign  plain 

dear  gait  .     seen  waist 


LINES    FOR    DICTATION  71 


68 


PRACTICE 
Punctuation  of  Quotations 

Find  in  the  selection  about  "  The  Monkey  and  the 
Cats"  a  quoted  statement,  a  quoted  question,  a  quoted 
exclamation,  a  divided  quotation. 

How  is  each  punctuated  ?  Are  the  question  mark 
and  the  exclamation  point  outside  or  inside  the  quo- 
tation marks  ?  How  are  the  words  that  divide  a 
quotation  punctuated  ? 

Copij  and  punctuate  the  folloiving  sentences :  — 

Oh,  what  a  terrible  monster  I  have  seen  said  a  little  frog  to 
his  father. 

How  big  was  it  asked  the  old  frog. 

It  was  as  big  as  a  mountain  answered  the  small  one. 

I  can  blow  myself  out  said  the  father  till  I  am  as  big  as 
the  ox. 

Then  he  blew  himself  out  larger  and  larger  till  finally  he 

burst. 

LINES  FOR   DICTATION 

He  prayeth  best  who  loveth  best 
All  things  both  great  and  small; 
For  the  dear  God  who  loveth  us 
He  made  and  loveth  all. 

—  S.  T.  Coleridge. 

Mt.  Blanc  is  the  monarch  of  mountains; 

They  crowned  him  long  ago, 
On  a  throne  of  rocks,  in  a  robe  of  clouds, 

With  a  diadem  of  snow. 

—  Lord  Byron. 


72  LESSONS  IN  ENGLISH 


69 


LULLABY   FOR   TITANIA 

Listen  and  learn  hy  heart :  — 

You  spotted  snakes  with  double  tongue, 
Thorny  hedgehogs,  be  not  seen  ; 

Newts  and  blind-worms,  do  no  wrong, 
Come  not  near  our  fairy  queen. 

Philomel,  with  melody 
Sing  in  our  sweet  lullaby : 
Lulla,  lulla,  lullaby  ;  lulla,  lulla,  lullaby  ! 

Never  harm. 

Nor  spell  nor  charm. 
Come  our  lovely  lady  nigh. 
So,  good  night,  with  lullaby. 

Weaving  spiders,  come  not  here  ; 

Hence,  you  long-legg'd  spinners,  hence  ! 
Beetles  black,  approach  not  near  ; 

Worm  nor  snail,  do  no  offense. 

Philomel,  with  melody 
Sing  in  our  sweet  lullaby  : 
Lulla,  lulla,  lullaby;  lulla,  lulla,  lullaby! 

Never  harm, 

Nor  spell  nor  charm, 
Come  our  lovely  lady  nigh. 
So,  good  night,  with  lullaby. 

Hence,  away !  now  all  is  well. 
One  aloof  stand  sentinel ! 

—  Shakespeaee. 


^^^^^^^^"^T^^^^l^^^i^^i^r^ 


The  SisTiius. 
73 


74  LESSONS  IN  ENGLISH 


70 


THE  PARTS   OF   A   SENTENCE 

Study  the  folloiving  sentences :  — 

1.  Practice  makes  perfect. 

2.  Lost  time  is  never  found  again. 

About  what  does  the  first  sentence  tell  ?  What  is 
said  or  asserted  about  Practice  f 

About  what  does  the  second  sentence  tell  ?  What 
is  said  or  asserted  about  Lost  time  f 

Every  sentence  is  made  up  of  two  parts ;  what  the 
sentence  tells  about  and  what  the  sentence  tells.  What 
the  sentence  tells  about  is  called  the  subject  of  the 
sentence,  and  what  it  tells  is  called  the  predicate  of 
the  sentence. 

Oral  Exercise.  — What  is  the  subject  of  each  of  the 
above  sentences?     What  is  the  predicate  of  each? 

Written  Exercise.  —  Write  sentences  suggested  hy  the 
objects  in  the  picture  on  page  73.  What  is  the  subject 
of  each  of  your  sentences  ?  the  predicate  ?  What 
story  does  the  picture  tell  you  ?     Write  the  story. 

71 


THE   SUBJECT   OF   A   SENTENCE 

Learn  this  definition : — 

The  subject  of  a  sentence  names  that  of  which  something  is 
said  or  asserted. 


rilE  PREDICATE   OF  A    SENTENCE  75 

Oral  Exercise.  —  In  each  of  these  sentences  which 
word  names  that  of  which  something  is  said  ? 

Edna  reads.      Willard  paints.      Men  work.  Women  visit. 

Girls  study.      Children  play.       Boys  whistle.     Stars  twinkle. 

Name  the  subject  of  each  sentence  given  above. 

Written  Exercises.  —  I.  Supply  subjects  in  thefoUoiv- 
iug  sentences.  To  think  of  proper  subjects,  ask  your- 
selves sucli  questions  as  these :  Who  falls  ?  What 
falls  ?     Who  cries  ? 

1.  falls.  5.  melts.  9.  roar. 

2.  cries.  6.  hide.  10.  ring. 

3.  talks.  7.  run.  11.  fly. 

4.  freezes.  8.  creep.  12.  hop. 

II.    Use  the  folloioing  ivords  as  subjects  :  — 

1.  Wood,  coal,  gas,  oil,  steam. 

2.  Houses,  stores,  shops,  barns,  schools. 

3.  I,  you,  he,  we,  they. 

72 


THE  PREDICATE   OF   A   SENTENCE 

Learn  this  definition  :  — 

The  predicate  of  a  sentence  is  that  which  is  said  or  asserted 
of  the  subject. 

Oral  Exercise.  —  What  is  said  or  asserted  of  the 
subject  in  each  of  the  following  sentences  ? 

Edna  reads.     Willard  paints.     Men  work.  Women  visit. 

Girls  study.     Children  play.       Boys  whistle.      Stars  twinkle. 


76  LESSONS  IN  ENGLISH 

Name  the  predicate  of  each  sentence  given. 

Written  Exercises.  —  I .  Supply  predicates  for  the  fol- 
lowing subjects.  To  find  proper  predicates,  ask  your- 
self such  questions  as,  Baby  does  what  f 

1.  Baby .  5.    Miners •  9.   Fruits . 

2.  John .  6.    Merchants .      10.    Clouds . 

3.  Ice .  7.    Soldiers .  11.   Clocks . 


4.   Eain .  8.   Policemen .      12.   Flowers . 

II.  Use  the  following  words  as  predicates :  — 

1.  Growled,  howls,  crow,  nibbled,  bite,  scratched,  sleeps. 

2.  March,  bow,  dance,  hum,  whisper,  laughs,  smiles,  sulks. 

3.  Jump,  hop,  skip,  tiptoe. 

4.  Walks,  struts,  prances,  hobbles,  limps. 

5.  Groaned,  mumbled,  sighed,  screamed. 

III.  From  the  above  loords  select  five  pairs  of  syno- 
nyms. 

Illustrate  their  meaning  by  performing  the  actions, 
if  you  can.  Note  how  they  are  alike  in  meaning ; 
how  different. 

IV.  Write  predicates  for  these  subjects  :  — 

1.  Addition,  subtraction,  multiplication,  division,  quotient. 
Tell  what  each  is. 

2.  Volcanoes,  rivers,  waves,  winds,  rocks.  Tell  tuhat  each 
does. 

3.  Sugar,  ice,  vinegar,  coal,  snow.      Tell  a  quality  of  each. 

4.  Nuts,  books,  words,  lessons.     Tell  what  is  done  to  each. 


GROUPS   OF   WORDS  AS  SUBJECTS  77 

73 

GROUPS  OF   WORDS  AS  SUBJECTS 

I^ead  the  following  sentence  carefully :  — 
Betsy  Koss's  house  is  still  standing. 

Ask  yourself  this  question, "  What  is  still  standing  ?** 
The  subject  of  the  sentence  is  the  group  of  words, 
Betsy  Ross's  hoicse. 

Oral  Exercise.  — What  group  of  words  is  the  subject? 

1.  A  new  broom  sweeps  clean. 

2.  The  brave  and  daring  Captain  John  Smith  was  not 
afraid  of  hard  work. 

3.  The  proof  of  the  pudding  is  in  the  eating. 

4.  One  good  turn  deserves  another. 

5.  People  in  the  torrid  zone  wear  thin  clothing. 

6.  The  northern  part  of  North  America  is  cold  and  barren. 

7.  The  farms  of  the  Southern  states  are  called  plantations. 

8.  A  fine  harbor  helps  to  make  a  city  prosperous. 

9.  Boston,  the  largest  city  of  New  England,  has  an  excel- 
lent harbor. 

10.  Much  sealskin  for  coats  and  caps  comes  from  Alaska. 

11.  A  city  set  on  a  hill  cannot  be  hid. 

12.  The  colony  planted  by  Sir  "Walter  Raleigh  was  a  failure. 

13.  Washington's  beautiful  home  was  at  Mt.  Vernon. 

14.  Oglethorpe,  the  founder  of  Georgia,  was  born  in  London. 

15.  The  District  of  Columbia  has  no  governor. 

Written  Exercise.  —  Use  the  following  groups  of 
loords  as  subjects  :  — 

'.    1.  •  The  summit  of  a  mountain. 
2.   The  water  of  the  ocean. 


78  LESSONS  IN  ENGLISH 

3.  London,  the  largest  city  in  the  world. 

4.  The  battle  of  Bunker  Hill. 

5.  A  boy  in  that  row. 

6.  The  mother  of  Washington. 

7.  An  Indian  wigwam. 

8.  The  hottest  part  of  the  earth. 

9.  Great  quantities  of  coal. 

10.  Goods  brought  into  a  country. 

11.  The  water  west  of  the  United  States. 

12.  The  Isthmus  of  Panama. 

13.  Kentucky  and  Virginia. 

14.  A  great  amount  of  copper. 

15.  Turpentine,  an  important  product  of  North  Carolina. 

74 


GROUPS  OF   WORDS   AS   PREDICATES 

Bead  the  following  sentence  carefully  :  — 
Mistress  Betsy  Ross  made  the  first  American  flag. 

What  is  the  subject  of  the  sentence  ?  What  is  said 
or  asserted  of  the  subject  ?  The  predicate  of  the  sen- 
tence is  a  group  of  words,  made  the  first  American  flag. 

Oral  Exercise.  —  What  group  of  words  is  the  predi- 
cate in  each  of  these  sentences  ? 

1.  A  new  pupil  is  sitting  in  the  front  seat. 

2.  She  is  studying  her  lesson  diligently. 

3.  Her  sister  is  not  in  this  grade. 

4.  Both  girls  are  very  pretty. 

5.  They  will  soon  find  friends  among  their  classmates. 

Written  Exercise.  —  Use  the  following  grouids  of 
ivords  as  j^redicates  :  — 


SEPARATING   THE  SUBJECT  AND  PREDICATE        79 

1.  is  the  capital  of  the  United  States. 

2.  was  the  first  President  of  the  United  States. 

3.  are  frozen  raindrops. 

4.  are  dried  grapes. 

5.  is  a  portion  of  land  nearly  surrounded  by  water. 

6. empties  into  the  Pacific  Ocean. 

7.  are  called  exports. 

8.  produces  much  cotton. 

9.  comes  from  South  America. 

10.  is  a  cold,  barren  country. 

11.  made  the  first  steamboat. 

12.  is  the  governor  of  our  state. 


76 


SEPARATING  THE   SUBJECT  AND  PREDICATE 

I.  Separate  each  of  the  following  sentences  into  two 
parts.  Write  the  subjects  and  predicates  in  columns 
as  follows :  — 

SuRiECT  (names)  Predicate  (tells  or  asserts) 

Proverbs  teach  good  lessons. 

Time  flies. 

Asking  costs  little. 

Fear  has  big  eyes. 

Words  pay  no  debts. 

A  burned  child  dreads  the  fire. 

The  longest  day  must  end. 

Doing  everything  is  doing  nothing. 

April  showers  bring  forth  May  flowers, 

A  squirrel's  teeth  are  very  sharp. 

A  fair  little  girl  sat  under  a  tree. 


80  LESSONS  IN  ENGLISH 


76 


THE  POSITION   OF   SUBJECT  AND  PREDICATE 

In  each  of  the  following  sentences  the  subject  is 
printed  in  italics.     Notice  its  j^osition. 

1.  Aunt  Minnie  is  at  home. 

2.  Here  come  the  children! 

3.  Where  is  Maud  ? 

4.  Will  Dan  call  for  her  ? 

5.  Go  with  him,  Frank. 

Where  do  you  find  the  subject  in  the  first  sen- 
tence ?  What  kind  of  sentence  is  it  ?  Where  is 
the  subject  in  the  second  sentence  ?  What  kind  of 
sentence  is  it  ?  Where  is  the  subject  in  the  third 
sentence  ?  What  kind  of  sentence  is  like  it  ?  What 
other  sentence  in  the  exercise  is  like  it  ?  Where  is 
its  subject  ?  What  kind  of  sentence  is  the  fifth  ?  In 
imperative  sentences  the  subject  is  usually  not  ex- 
pressed; it  is  the  little  word  you,  which  is  merely 
thought  of  or  understood.  Sentence  5  really  means, 
You  go  ivith  him,  as  we  sometimes  say,  You  keep  still. 

Oral  Exercises.  —  I.    What  is  each  subject  ? 

1.  Are  your  berries  ripe  ? 

2.  Snug  and  safe  is  his  nest. 

3.  Give  me  of  your  bark,  0  Birch-tree  ! 

4.  Where  go  the  boats  ? 

5.  Sing  a  song  of  seasons. 

6.  How  sweet  these  apples  are ! 

7.  Have  you  slept  well  ? 


ORDER  IN  SENTENCES  81 


77 


ORDER  IN  SENTENCES 

We  found  in  the  last  lesson  that  the  subject  of  a 
sentence  does  not  always  come  first.  Think  what 
the  sentence  means  and  what  it  is  about  before  you 
try  to  tell  the  subject. 

Rearrange  the  following  sentences  so  that  the  whole 
subject  shall  come  first  and  the  ivhole  2)redicate  last : — 

1.  On  the  deck  stood  Columbus. 

2.  Behind  him  lay  the  gray  Azores. 

3.  Through  the  Straits  of  Magellan  sailed  the  bold  Drake. 

4.  On  his  last  voyage  Henry  Hudson  lost  his  life. 

5.  A  headstrong  man  was  Governor  Stuyvesant. 

6.  Above  the  English  army  rose  the  Heights  of  Abraham. 

7.  Thus  died  General  Wolfe  in  the  moment  of  victory. 

8.  Into  Fort  Ticonderoga  swarmed  the  American  soldiers. 

9.  Along  the  street  comes  a  blare  of  trumpets. 

10.  Colder  and  colder  blew  the  wind. 

11.  Amid  the  storm  the  Pilgrims  sang. 

12.  So  through  the  night  rode  Paul  Revere. 

13.  Into  the  midnight  we  galloped  abreast. 

14.  Through  all  the  wide  Border  his  steed  is  the  best. 

15.  Still  sits  the  schoolhouse  by  the  road. 

When  the  entire  subject  comes  first  in  a  sentence, 
and  the  entire  predicate  last,  the  sentence  has  the 
natural  order. 

Any  otlier  arrangement  of  subject  and  predicate  is 
called  the  inverted  or  transposed  order. 


$2  LESSONS  IN  ENGLISH 

78 

SIMPLE   SENTENCES 

Observe  that  in  the  lesson  on  page  81  each  sen- 
tence has  only  one  subject  and  one  predicate.  Such 
sentences  are  called  simple  sentences. 

Every  simple  sentence  may  be  so  arranged  that 
the  subject  and  predicate  can  be  separated  by  a  verti- 
cal line  ;  thus  :  — 

Betsy  Eoss's  house  |  is  still  standing. 
Columbus  I  stood  on  the  deck. 

When  you  separate  a  sentence  into  its  parts,  you 
are  said  to  analyze  or  make  an  analysis  of  it. 

The  use  of  the  vertical  line  is  to  make  the  analysis 
plain  to  the  eye. 

You  may  also  analyze  a  simple  sentence  by  naming 
each  part  as  follows :  — 

The  subject  is  Betsy  I^oss's  house. 

The  predicate  is  is  still  standing. 

Show  the  analysis  of  sentences  on  page  81. 

79 


HISTORY  AND   COMPOSITION 

I.    What  famous  persons  are  named  in  Lesson  77  ? 
Select  one  for  special  study,  as  follows :  — 

1.  When  and  where  he  lived.        3.    Incidents  in  his  life. 

2.  Training  or  character.  4.    Great  deeds  and  death. 

Write  a  composition  about  the  one  chosen. 


REVIEW  83 

II.  By  reading  or  conversation,  learn  about  the  first 
settlement  made  in  the  State  in  which  you  live.  Use 
these  points  to  help  you  in  writing  a  composition :  — 

1.  When  and  where  the  first  settlement  was  made, 

2.  The  leader  or  leaders  of  the  movement. 

3.  What  kind  of  people  the  early  settlers  were. 

4.  Their  struggles  and  hardships. 

5.  Important  events  in  the  early  history  of  your  State. 

80 


REVIEW 

1.  Into  what  parts  may  every  sentence  be  divided? 

2.  What  is  the  subject  of  a  sentence  ?     Example. 

3.  What  is  the  predicate  of  a  sentence  ?     Example. 

4.  Name  the  subject  and  predicate  of  these  sentences :  — 

A  rolling  stone  gathers  no  moss. 
I  pledge  allegiance  to  my  flag. 
Begin  in  time  to  finish  without  hurry. 
Can  you  see  the  new  moon  ? 
Here  comes  the  boy  ! 

5.  What  is  meant  by  the  ^^  natural  order  "  ? 

6.  What  is  meant  by  the  "inverted  order"? 

7.  Explain  and  illustrate  the  following  terms:  (1)  quotor 
tion,  (2)  person  addressed^  (3)  indentation,  (4)  margin. 

8.  What  is  meant  by  a  person^s  vocabulary  ? 

9.  Write  a  contraction  of  Lucy  does  not  care. 
10.   Write  and  punctuate  sentences  containing  — 

(1)  a  quoted  question,         (3)    a  divided  quotation, 

(2)  a  quoted  exclamation,  (4)   the  name  of  a  person  addressed. 


84 


LESSONS  IN  ENGLISH 


81 


ROBERT   OF   LINCOLN 


A  Life  History  in  Verse 


Listen  while  your  teacher 
reads  one  of  the  most  charm- 
ing poems  in  English.  It 
tells  the  life  story  of  a  little 
bird,  lovingly  called  "  Robert 
of  Lincoln."  The  poem  was 
written  by  William  Cullen 
Bryant,  one  of  America's  best 
nature  poets. 

Merrily  swin  ging  on  brier  and  weed, 
Near  to  the  nest  of  his  little 
dame, 
Over  the  mountain  side  or  mead, 
Robert  of  Lincoln  is  telling  his 
name, 

"  Bob-o'-link,  bob-o'-link, 
Spink,  spank,  spink. 
Snug  and  safe  is  this  nest  of  ours. 
Hidden  among  the  summer  flowers. 
Chee,  chee,  chee.'^ 

Robert  of  Lincoln  is  gayly  dressed. 

Wearing  a  bright  black  wedding 

coat; 

White  are  his  shoulders  and  white 

his  crest. 

Hear  him  call  in  his  merry  note. 


BOBERT  OF  LINCOLN  85 

"  Bob-o'-link,  bob-o'-liiik, 

Spink,  spank,  spiuk, 
Look  what  a  nice  new  coat  is  mine ; 
Sure  there  was  never  a  bird  so  fine. 

Chee,  chee,  chee." 

Robert  of  Lincoln's  Quaker  wife, 

Pretty  and  quaint,  with  plain  brown  wings, 
Passing  at  home  a  patient  life. 

Broods  in  the  grass  while  her  husband  sings, 
"  Bob-o'-link,  bob-o'-link, 
Spink,  spank,  spink, 
Brood,  kind  creature,  you  need  not  fear 
Thieves  and  robbers  while  I  am  here. 
Chee,  chee,  chee." 

Modest  and  shy  as  a  nun  is  she ; 

One  weak  chirp  is  her  only  note  ; 
Braggart,  and  prince  of  braggarts  is  he, 
Pouring  boasts  from  his  little  throat, 
"  Bob-o'-link,  bob-o'-link, 
Spink,  spank,  spink, 
Never  was  I  afraid  of  man. 
Catch  me,  cowardly  knaves,  if  you  can. 
Chee,  chee,  chee." 

Six  white  eggs  on  a  bed  of  hay. 

Flecked  with  purple,  a  pretty  sight : 
There  as  the  mother  sits  all  day, 
Robert  is  singing  with  all  his  might, 
"  Bob-o'-link,  bob-o'-link, 
Spink,  spank,  spink, 


86  LESSONS  IN  ENGLISH 

Nice  good  wife  that  never  goes  out, 

Keeping  house  while  I  frolic  about. 

Chee,  chee,  chee." 

Soon  as  the  little  ones  chip  the  shell, 
Six  wide  mouths  are  open  for  food ; 
Robert  of  Lincoln  bestirs  him  well, 
Gathering  seeds  for  the  hungry  brood  : 
"  Bob-o"-link,  bob-o'-link, 
Spink,  spank,  spink. 
This  new  life  is  likely  to  be 
Hard  for  a  gay  young  fellow  like  me. 
Chee,  chee,  chee." 

Eobert  of  Lincoln  at  length  is  made 

Sober  with  work,  and  silent  with  care, 
Off  is  his  holiday  garment  laid^ 
Half  forgotten  that  merry  air, 
"  Bob-oMiuk,  bob-o'-link, 
Spink,  spank,  spink. 
Nobody  knows  but  my  mate  and  I, 
Where  our  nest  and  our  nestlings  lie. 
Chee,  chee,  chee." 

Summer  wanes  ;  the  children  are  grown  ; 

Fun  and  frolic  no  more  he  knows, 
Robert  of  Lincoln's  a  humdrum  drone ; 
Off  he  flies,  and  we  sing  as  he  goes, 
"  Bob-o'-link,  bob-o'-link, 
Spink,  spank,  spink. 
When  you  can  pipe  that  merry  old  strain, 
Robert  of  Lincoln,  come  back  again. 
Chee,  chee,  chee." 

—  William  Cullen  Bryant. 


A   STUDY  OF  ROBERT  OF  LINCOLN  87 


82 


A  STUDY  OF  ROBERT   OF   LINCOLN 
Conversation  Lesson 

Robert  of  Lincoln's  story  is  told  in  eight  little  chap- 
ters, each  of  which  is  a  stanza. 

Read  each  stanza  again  and  again  until  you  can 

form  a  clear  "  shut-eye  "  or  mental  picture  of  the  part 

of  the  story  it  tells. 

These  questions  will  help  you  to  gain  such  a  picture. 
t 

Who  or  what  is  pictured  in  the  stanza? 

How  does  the  one  named  in  it  look  ?- 

What  feelings  are  mentioned  or  hinted  at  ? 

What  do  you  learn  from  it  about  Robert  of  Lincoln's  song  ? 

When  every  stanza  has  given  up  to  you  its  picture, 
read  the  whole  poem  aloud  in  th^  most  musical  way 
you  can. 

Try  to  show  in  your  reading  the  changes  of  Robert 
"merrily  swinging"  to  "Robert  of  Lincoln's  a  hum- 
drum drone." 

"  Off  he  flies  !  "     Where  does  he  go  ? 

Written  Exercises 1.    Copy  lilies  ivhich  describe 

the  appearance  of — 

1.  Robert  of  Lincoln.  3.   His  Quaker  wife. 

2.  The  eggs.  4.    The  nestlings. 

What  words  help  most  in  making  clear  pictures  in 
each  case  ? 

II.    Write  in  your  own  words  the  history  of  a  hohoUnk. 


The  Professor's  Eyeglasses. 


STORY  WRITING  89 

83 

STORY   WRITING 

I.  Make  up  a  short  story,  using  any  group  of  details 
given  helow  and  in  any  order  you  wish  :  — 

1.  Skates  —  ice  —  accident  —  two  boys. 

2.  Farm  —  vacation  —  hay  —  three  girls. 

3.  Letter  —  mother  —  boy  —  forget. 

4.  Soldier  —  battle  —  portrait  —  letter. 

5.  Uncle  —  driftwood  —  boat  —  dinner. 

6.  Basket  —  dog  —  monkey  —  boy. 

7.  Boy  —  New  Hampshire  —  Boston  —  railroad. 

II.  Write  out  a  story  suggested  by  the  picture  on 
the  opjjosite  page, 

III.  "Good  news!  Good  news!"  shouted  a  little  lad  of 
ten,  as  he  came  running  toward  the  veranda',  where  his  mother 
sat  sewing.  He  was  waving  a  letter  proudly  above  his  head. 
"Good  news,  mother,"  he  repeated.  "Father's  ship  has 
reached  San  Francisco !     Here's  a  letter  for  you,  too !  " 

Tell  the  story  of  the  father's  return  from  the  Philip- 
pines.    Study  these  notes  :  — 

1.  Mother  s  letter —  time  of  arrival  told. 

2.  Meeting  the  train  —  father's  looks  —  the  bag- 
gage. 

3.  TJie  drive  home  —  telling  about  the  long  voy- 
age from  Manila. 

4.  Ojoening  the  trunks  —  the  curious  things  — 
home  —  America  is  best ! 

Arrange  the  story  in  four  paragraphs,  as  above. 


90  LESSONS  IN  ENGLISH 

84 

EXERCISES   IN  COMPOSITION 

I.  Write  an  accurate  account  of  the  work  done  in  a 
lesson  in  manual  training,  cooking,  sewing,  or  gar- 
dening.     I'ell  ivhat  you  did  and  how  you  did  it. 

II.  Write  a  carefidly  prepared  report  of  some  experi- 
ment you  made,  telling  what  the  experiment  proves. 

III.  Write  a  problem  which  is  to  be  solved  by  long 
division,  and  then  write  a  full  explanation  of  the 
work. 


85 


THE  BOOK  I  LIKE  BEST 

I.  Write  the  titles  of  four  books  you  have  read 
this  year  outside  of  class,  keeping  in  mind  the  rule 
about  the  use  of  capitals  in  titles. 

Write  the  names  of  the  authors  of  these  books, 
remembering  the  rules  about  the  use  of  capitals  in 
names  of  persons  and  of  periods  in  abbreviations. 

II.  Write  one  or  more  paragraphs  about  the  book 
you  like  best. 

Name  the  hero,  heroine,  or  leading  character,  and 
tell  his  or  her  part  in  the  story. 

Tell  why  you  like  the  book. 

Mention  some  things  the  hero  or  heroine  does  or 
says  that  lead  you  to  admire  his  or  her  character. 


A    THINKING  MATCH 


91 


86 


AN   EXERCISE   IN  STORY  AVRITING 


It  was  very  early  in  the 
morning;  so  early  that 
the  sun  was  not  yet  up, 
but  the  birds  were  awake 
and  were  softly  chirping 
and  calling.  Some  one 
else  was  awake  too.  Lit- 
tle Elizabeth  had  been 
promised  a  visit  to  the 
country ;  she  was  to  start 
this  very  morning.  As 
soon  as  she  heard  some 
one  stirring,  she  sprang 
out  of  bed,  ran  to  the 
window,  and  — 

Finish  the  story  hy 
telling :  — 

What  kind  of  weather  Elizabeth  found,  how  she  felt  about 
it,  and  what  she  did  during  the  rest  of  the  morning. 

87 


Elizabeth  i 


A  THINKING  MATCH 
Telling  the  Meaning  of  Proverbs 

Memorize :  — 

1.  A  stitch  in  time  saves  nine. 

2.  Borrowed  clothes  seldom  fit. 

3.  Where  there's  a  will  there's  a  way. 

1  By  permission  of  the  Berlin  Photographic  Company. 


92  LESSONS  IN  ENGLISH 

Head  the  following  stories  and  tell  ivhich  of  the 
proverbs  each  story  explains  or  illustrates :  — 

1.  A  boy  copied  a  composition  from  a  book  instead  of 
thinking  it  out  for  himself.  The  words  and  expressions 
were  so  unlike  those  which  he  generally  used  that  his  class- 
mates laughed  at  him  because  they  knew  the  composition  was 
not  his  own. 

2.  A  few  shingles  were  blown  from  the  roof  of  a  house. 
"  This  cannot  do  much  harm,"  said  the  owner,  and  therefore 
he  did  not  replace  them.  The  rain  got  under  other  shingles 
and  in  a  year  or  two  many  more  of  them  became  decayed  and 
fell  off.  The  water  then  came  into  the  house,  ruining  the 
plaster,  spoiling  the  paper,  and  otherwise  doing  great  damage. 
All  this  trouble  might  have  been  prevented  by  a  little  care 
at  the  beginning. 

3.  A  certain  young  man  who  had  inherited  great  wealth 
from  his  father  lost  it  all  through  bad  management.  One  day 
as  he  was  passing  the  great  house  where  he  was  born,  he  said 
to  himself:  "I  will  live  in  that  house  again."  He  began  to 
work  and  to  save  money.  His  ambition  spurred  him  on,  he 
attended  to  his  business,  became  rich,  and  finally  purchased 
the  whole  estate  formerly  owned  by  his  father. 

88 


EXERCISE   IN   THINKING 

With  the  help  of  the  last  lesson  make  up)  a  story  that 
will  illustrate  one  of  the  following  proverbs :  — 

1.  Prevention  is  better  than  cure. 

2.  What  is  everybody's  business  is  nobody's  business. 

3.  The  worst  wheel  does  the  most  creaking. 


THE  ARROW  AND   THE  SONG  93 

4.  A  new  broom  sweeps  clean. 

5.  One  man's  meat  is  another  man's  poison. 

6.  The  sleeping  fox  catches  no  chickens. 

7.  'Tis  darkest  just  before  the  day. 

8.  Better  late  than  never. 

89 


THE   ARROW  AND   THE   SONG 

I  shot  an  arrow  into  the  air, 
It  fell  to  earth,  I  knew  not  where; 
For,  so  swiftly  it  flew,  the  sight 
Could  not  follow  it  in  its  flight. 

I  breathed  a  song  into  the  air. 
It  fell  to  earth,  I  knew  not  where ; 
For  who  has  sight  so  keen  and  strong. 
That  it  can  follow  the  flight  of  a  song  ? 

Long,  long  afterward,  in  an  oak 
I  found  the  arrow,  still  unbroke ; 
And  the  song,  from  beginning  to  end, 
1  found  again  in  the  heart  of  a  friend. 

—  Henry  W.  Longfellow. 


Bead  this  poem  through.  What  mind-picture  do 
you  get  from  each  stanza?  Who  "  breathed  into  the 
air  "  this  fine  poem  ?     Learn  it  hy  heart. 

Read  again  the  first  poem  in  this  hook.  Which  of 
the  two  do  you  Uke  better  ?  Do  you  know  why  ? 
Can  you  tell  why  ? 


94  LESSONS  IN  ENGLISH 

90 

SUMMARY 
The  Sentence 

Thoughts  are  gained  mainly  through  observation,  reading, 
and  conversation. 

A  sentence  is  a  group  of  words  expressing  a  complete 
thought ;  as,  Many  hands  make  labor  light. 

A  declarative  sentence  is  a  sentence  that  makes  a  statement ; 
as.  Sixty  seconds  make  a  minute. 

An  interrogative  sentence  is  a  sentence  that  asks  a  question ; 
as,  How  many  minutes  make  an  hour  ? 

An  imperative  sentence  is  a  sentence  that  expresses  a  com- 
mand or  an  entreaty ;  as,  Wait  a  minute,  please.    Hurry,  John. 

An  exclamatory  sentence  is  a  sentence  that  expresses  strong 
feeling ;  as.  How  beautiful  is  the  rose ! 

Capital  Letters 

Capital  letters  are  used  in  beginning  — 

All  sentences ;  as.  Kind  words  are  best. 

Names  of  persons ;  as,  Florence  Nightingale. 

Names  of  places ;  as,  Rome. 

Names  of  holidays,  of  days  of  the  week,  months  of  the  year ; 
as,  The  first  Tuesday  after  the  first  Monday  in  November  is 
Election  Day. 

Names  of  the  Deity ;  as.  Is  not  God  our  Father  ? 

Titles  used  with  names ;  as,  Captain  John  Smith. 

The  first  word  of  a  line  of  poetry ;  as, 

Birds  are  singing  round  my  window 
Tunes  the  sweetest  ever  heard. 

The  words  /and  0;  as,  O  wind,  I  hear  you. 


SUMMARY  95 

Initials ;  as,  James  T.  Fields. 

The  first  and  every  important  word  in  the  title  of  a  book, 
picture,  or  the  like ;  as,  "  The  King  of  the  Golden  River." 

Punctuation  Marks 

A  period  is  used :  — 

At  the  end  of  a  declarative  sentence. 

At  the  end  of  an  imperative  sentence. 

After  an  abbreviation ;  as,  Mr.  Andrews. 

After  an  initial ;  as,  R.  L.  Stevenson. 

An  interrogation  point  is  used  at  the  end  of  an  interrogative 
sentence ;  as.  What  do  you  wish  ? 

An  exclamation  point  is  used  at  the  end  of  an  exclamatory 
sentence ;  as.  There  he  comes ! 

Commas  are  often  used  to  separate  the  name  of  a  person 
addressed  or  a  direct  quotation,  from  the  rest  of  the  sentence ; 
as,  "  Fred,  mother  has  come."  "  It  was  the  cat,"  said  the  mouse. 

An  apostrophe  is  often  used  to  show  the  omission  of  one  or 
more  letters ;  as,  I  didn't  tell  Harry. 

Special  Terms 

A  sentence  that  has  one  subject  and  one  predicate  is  called 
a  simple  sentence ;  as,  The  thrush  sings  a  sweet  song. 

A  paragraph  is  a  group  or  series  of  sentences  relating  to 
one  topic. 

Words  that  have  the  same  or  nearly  the  same  meaning  are 
called  synonyms ;  as,  ask,  request. 

Description  is  telling  how  anything  looks  or  appears. 

Narration  is  story -telling  or  relating  past  events. 


PART   II 

LETTER   WRITING 


RiALTO    AND    GkAND    CaNAL,  VeNICE. 

91 


Would  you  like  to  visit  the  real  scene  of  which  a 
picture  is  shown  above  ?  Where  is  it  ?  How  would 
you  travel  to  get  there  ?  What  interesting  sights 
would  you  look  for  first  ?  Why  do  they  interest  you  ? 
Collect  pictures  of  them. 

If  you  are  denied  the  privilege  of  seeing  this  won- 
derful city,  how  may  you  share  in  the  advantages  of 
some  one  else  more  fortunate  than  you  in  this  respect  ? 

96 


A   LETTER  97 
92 


A  LETTER 


Venice,  Italy. 

August  13,  1882. 


Dear  Gertie  :  — 

When  the  little  children  in  Venice  want  to  take  a  bath,  they 
just  go  down  to  the  front  steps  of  the  house  and  jump  off,  and 
swim  about  in  the  street.  Yesterday  I  saw  a  nurse  standing 
on  the  front  steps,  holding  one  end  of  a  string,  and  the  other 
end  was  tied  to  a  little  fellow  who  was  swimming  up  the  street. 
When  he  went  too  far,  the  nurse  pulled  in  the  string,  and  got 
her  baby  home  again.  Then  I  met  another  youngster  swimming 
in  the  street,  whose  mother  had  tied  him  to  a  post  by  the  side  of 
the  door,  so  that  when  he  tried  to  swim  away  to  see  another  boy, 
who  was  tied  to  another  door  post  up  the  street,  he  couldn't, 
and  they  had  to  sing  out  to  one  another  over  the  water. 

Is  not  this  a  queer  city?  You  are  always  in  danger  of  run- 
ning over  some  of  the  people  and  drowning  them,  for  you  go 
about  in  a  boat,  instead  of  a  carriage,  and  use  an  oar,  instead 
of  a  horse.  But  it  is  ever  so  pretty,  and  the  people,  especially 
the  children,  are  very  bright,  and  gay,  and  handsome.  When 
you  are  sitting  in  your  room  at  night,  you  hear  some  music 
under  your  window,  and  look  out,  and  there  is  a  boat  with  a 
man  with  a  fiddle,  and  a  woman  with  a  voice,  and  they  are 
serenading  you.  To  be  sure,  they  want  some  money  when 
they  are  done,  for  everybody  begs  here,  but  they  do  it  very 
prettily,  and  are  full  of  fun. 

Tell  Susie  I  did  not  see  the  Queen  this  time.  She  was  out  of 
town.  But  ever  so  many  noblemen  and  princes  have  sent  to 
know  how  Toody  was,  and  how  she  looked,  and  I  have  sent 
them  all  her  love. 

There  must  be  lots  of  pleasant  things  to  do  at  Andover,  and 


98  LESSONS  IN  ENGLISH 

I  think  you  must  have  had  a  beautiful  summer  there.  Pretty 
soon,  now,  you  will  go  back  to  Boston.  Do  go  into  my  house 
when  you  get  there,  and  see  if  the  doll  and  her  baby  are  well 
and  happy  (but  do  not  carry  them  off) ;  and  make  the  music 
box  play  a  tune,  and  remember  your  affectionate  uncle, 

Phillips.^ 

Conversation.  —  Does  the  letter  add  to  your  desire 
to  go  to  Venice  ?  Do  you  think  it  made  the  one  to 
whom  it  was  written  wish  to  see  the  sights  it  describes  ? 

Who  did  see  and  write  about  these  sights  ?  Where 
was  Dr.  Brooks  when  he  wrote  the  letter  ?  When  did 
he  write  it  ?  To  whom  ?  What  relation  was  he  to 
Gertie  ?  What  feeling  existed  between  them  ?  Why 
do  you  think  so  ?  Are  the  things  mentioned  in  the 
letter  such  as  interest  you  ? 

93 


LETTER   WRITmG 

Nothing  that  you  learn  in  school  will  be  of  greater 
use  to  you  than  knowing  how  to  write  a  good  letter. 
A  letter  to  be  called  good  must  be  proper  in  form, 
correct  in  spelling  and  punctuation,  neatly  written  and 
folded,  and  above  all  sincere  and  natural  in  thought 
and  expression. 

Letters  may  be  divided  into  friendly  letters  and 
business  letters.  Friendly  or  social  letters  are  those 
in  which  we  write  our  thoughts  to  absent  friends  or 

1  This  letter  of  Philhps  Brooks  is  reprinted  by  arrangement  with 
Messrs.  E.  P.  Dutton  and  Company,  New  York. 


THE  PARTS  OF  A   LETTER  99 

acquaintances  because  we  cannot  talk  with  them  face 
to  face.  Business  letters,  on  the  other  hand,  are 
written  for  some  special  purpose,  such  as  to  order 
goods,  apply  for  a  position,  ask  for  information,  sub- 
scribe for  a  magazine,  and  so  on.  The  following  les- 
sons refer  particularly  to  friendly  letters.  Practice  in 
writing  business  letters  is  taken  up  on  page  107. 


94 


THE   PARTS  OF  A   LETTER 

Review  the  parts  of  the  letter  on  pages  97  and 
98:  — 

1.  The  Heading  gives  the  j^lcice  and  date. 

2.  The  Salutation  shows  in  a  polite  way  to  whom 
the  letter  was  written. 

3.  The  Body  is  the  main  part  of  the  letter. 

4.  The  Conclusion  consists  of  the  complimentary 
ending  and  the  signature  of  the  writer. 

Notice   carefully  the  position,  form,  capitalization, 
and  p)unctuation  of  each  of  these  parts. 
Write  the  folloioing  dates :  — 
Of  your  birthday ;  of  a  holiday. 

A  date  consists  of  the  name  of  the  month,  the  day 
of  the  month,  and  the  year.  Sometimes  the  name  of 
the  day  of  the  week  is  also  used.  As  you  see  in  the 
date  given  in  the  letter,  commas  should  be  used  to 
separate  the  parts  of  every  date. 


100 


LESSONS  IN  ENGLISH 


Names  of  months  when  used  in  dates  are  often  abbreviated 

Aug. 
Sept. 
Oct. 

Nov. 


January 

Jan. 

August 

February 

Feb. 

September 

March 

Mar. 

October 

April 

Apr. 

November 

December 

Dec. 

-95- 

THE 

HEADING 

The  heading  is  placed  in  the  upper  right-hand 
corner  about  two  inches  from  the  top  of  the  page. 
If  the  letter  is  short,  the  heading  should  be  dropped 
down  so  that  about  the  same  space  will  be  left  above 
and  below  the  letter.  When  the  heading  is  short,  it 
is  usually  written  on  one  line,  but  two  or  even  three 
lines  may  be  used  if  necessary. 

Explain  the  use  of  each  capital  letter  in  the  folloioing 
headings.     Tell  why  each  comma  and  period  is  used : 


1.  (Place,  state,  and  date  on  one 

line) 

2.  (Place  and  state  on  first  line ; 

date  on  second  line) 

3.  (Place,  county,  and  state  on 

first  line;  date  on  second 
line) 

4.  (College  on  first  line ;  place 

and  state  on  second  ;  date 
on  third) 


Dover,  N.H.,  Feb.  7,  1909. 

Lebanon,  Tenn., 

Oct.  20,  1909. 
Malone,  Franklin  Co.,  N.Y., 

April  14,  1908. 

Tulane  University, 
New  Orleans,  La., 

Sept.  4,  1908. 


THE  SALUTA TION  ;  ;  •  • ,  • .  .  IQJ 

5.    (Street  and  number  on  first     137  Hudson  St., 

line ;    place   and   state    on  Buffalo,  N.Y., 

second ;  date  on  third)  Nov.  22,  1908. 

Exercises.  — 1.  Write  a  heading  for  a  letter  dated  to-day  at 
your  home. 

2.  Imagine  that  you  are  living  in  the  village  of  Spencer, 
County  of  Tioga,  State  of  New  York,  and  that  you  are  writing 
a  letter  on  August  14  in  the  year  1908.  How  should  the 
heading  be  written  ? 

3.  Imagine  that  you  are  a  student  at  Franklin  Academy  in 
Montclair,  New  Jersey.  How  would  you  head  a  letter  written 
on  December  14,  1910  ? 

Write  orderly  headings  from  the  following  items :  — 

4.  August  24,  1909,  Lexington,  Kentucky. 

5.  Canton,  Ohio,  July  4,  1912,  24  Blossom  Street. 

6.  Poughkeepsie,  New  York  State,  Jan.  1,  1917,  Vassar 
College. 

7.  June  24,  1912,  Washington,  District  of  Columbia,  The 
New  Willard  Hotel. 


96 


THE  SALUTATION 

In  writing  any  letter  leave  a  narrow  margin  at 
the  left  of  the  page  from  top  to  bottom. 

The  salutation  should  begin  at  the  left-hand  mar- 
gin, one  line  below  the  heading.  The  first  word 
and  the  word  or  words  indicating  the  person  ad- 
dressed should  begin  with  capital  letters.  In  familiar 
letters  the  salutation  usually  ends  with  a  comma ;  in 
business  letters,  with  a  colon  or  a  colon  and  a  dash. 


102  LESSONS  IN  ENGLISH 

Exercises.  —  I.  Copy  the  folloiving  salutations, 
placing  the  proper  punctuation  after  each  :  — 

{For  friendly  letters)  (For  btisiness  letters) 

My  dear  Mother  Dear  Sir 

Dear  Tom  My  dear  Sir 

Dear  Uncle  Aaron  Dear  Madam 

My  dear  Cousin  Dear  Mrs.  McHale 

Dear  Friend  Gentlemen 

II.    Write  a  salutation  for  a  letter  to  :  — 

1.  Your  brother  or  sister.  4.    Your  cousin. 

2.  A  schoolmate.  5.    Mrs.  Murray. 

3.  Your  teacher.  6.    Mr.  Keim. 

97 

THE  BODY 

In  friendly  letters  it  is  a  good  plan  to  begin  every 
paragraph  of  the  body,  or  message,  at  the  left  with 
an  indentation  of  about  an  inch  from  the  margin. 

In  writing  to  a  friend  or  relative,  write  as  you 
would  talk.  Before  you  begin  to  write,  be  sure  that 
you  have  something  to  say,  and  then  say  it  as  simply 
and  naturally  as  possible.  Try  to  put  yourself  in  the 
place  of  the  one  who  is  to  receive  your  letter,  and 
say  what  you  think  that  person  will  be  interested  in 
knowing  or  hearing. 

Avoid  the  use  of  slang  and  all  vulgar  expressions. 
Do  not  shorten  any  sentences  by  omitting  the  sub- 
ject. Use  the  rules  you  have  learned  about  the  com- 
position and  arrangement  of  sentences  and  paragraphs. 


THE  CONCLUSION  103 


98 


THE   CONCLUSION 

The  expression  of  respect  or  affection,  called  the 
complimentary  ending,  should  begin  near  the  middle 
of  the  line  next  after  the  close  of  the  nlessage.  Only 
the  first  word  should  begin  with  a  capital  letter.  It 
should  always  end  with  a  comma.  Notice  that  words 
expressing  relationship  or  friendship,  such  as  mother, 
father,  brother,  cousin,  friend,  begin  with  a  capital 
letter  in  the  salutation  but  not  in  the  ending.  The 
signature  should  be  written  on  the  right-hand  side  of 
the  line  below  the  complimentary  ending,  with  a 
period  after  it. 

Exercise.  —  Copy  the  folloioing  conclusions  to  letters, 
being  careful  about  cajntals  and  punctuation:  — 

(For  friendly  letters)  (For  business  letters) 

Your  loving  daughter,  Yours  truly, 

Rachel.  Smith  M.  Becker. 

Your  sincere  friend.  Very  truly  yours, 

Charlotte  A.  Gary.  Emily  Bamberg. 

Faithfully  yours.  Yours  respectfully, 

William  A.  Adams.  (Mrs.)  Mary  E.  Harris. 

Your  devoted  son,  Yours  very  respectfully, 

Preston.  Harris  J.  Brady. 

Cordially  yours.  Yours  sincerely, 

Kate  Mackey.  Frank  J.  Barnes. 

Lovingly  yours.  Yours  with  respect, 
Anna  Wescott.  Dean  Fuller. 


104  LESSONS  IN  ENGLISH 


99 


THE   SUPERSCRIPTION 

In  order  that  a  letter  may  be  sure  to  reach  the 
person  or  firm  to  whom  it  is  sent,  the  name  and  exact 
residence  or  place  of  business  must  be  plainly  indicated 
on  the  envelope.  Such  directions  are  called  the  address 
or  superscription.  Careless  superscription  of  letters 
causes  much  trouble  to  the  post-office  clerks  and  letter 
carriers  throughout  the  country.  Thousands  upon 
thousands  of  letters  are  never  received  because  the 
superscriptions  are  wrong  or  illegible.  A  great  many 
letters  are  missent  because  it  is  impossible  to  decide 
whether  the  sender  intended  to  write  on  the  envelope 
Me.  or  Mo.,  Cal.  or  Col,  Pa.  or  La.,  N.Y.  or  N.  J. 

In  the  case  of  cities  and  incorporated  villages  the 
street  and  number  should  be  given.  Except  in  large 
and  well-known  cities  the  name  of  the  county  should 
also  be  included.  If  the  name  of  the  state  is  short,  as, 
Ohio,  Maine,  Texas,  write  it  in  full. 

Sometimes  the  street  or  post-office  box  is  written 
on  the  left  side  of  the  envelope  below  the  address. 
If  the  person  to  whom  the  letter  is  addressed  resides 
in  a  district  reached  by  the  rural  free  delivery  service, 
the  letters  R.  F.  D.,  with  the  number  of  the  route, 
should  be  given  in  place  of  the  post-office  box. 

The  name  of  the  person  or  firm  should  be  in  the 
center  of  the  envelope,  and  each  other  line  should  pro- 
ject a  little  to  the  right  beyond  the  line  next  above  it. 


THE  SUPERSCRIPTION  105 

Formerly  it  was  customary  to  end  every  line  of  the 
superscription  except  the  last  with  a  comma,  but  it  is 
now  a  common  practice  to  omit  all  punctuation  on  the 
envelope  except  the  period  to  indicate  abbreviations, 
as  in  Co.,  Dr.,  Mass. 

Dr.  Hiram  Lake  Raymond  F.  Sawyer 

267  Navarro  St.  Bristol  School 

San  Antonio  Washington 

Texas.  D.C. 

Form  of  Superscription 


Miss  Irene  Thomas 

122  Plymouth  Ave. 
Buffalo 

N.Y. 


Exercises.  —  Draiv  oblongs  about  the  size  of  an  en- 
velope and  fill  in  the  superscrijHions  from  the  following 
items,  with  the  usual  contractions.  Never  contract  the 
name  of  a  city  or  county, 

1.  Doctor  Louis  J.  Fisher,  Springville,  Erie  County,  New 
York. 

2.  Reverend  John  S.  Grandison,  Hotel  Chamberlin,  Old 
Point  Comfort,  Virginia. 

3.  Squire  &  Landon,  27  Weybosset  Street,  Providence, 
Rhode  Island. 


106  LESSONS  IN  ENGLISH 

4.  Miss  Kate  E.  Pooley,  36  Ellis  Street,  San  Francisco, 
California. 

5.  Professor  John  J.  Clancy,  1004  Congress  Court,  Cin- 
cinnati, Ohio. 

6.  Mr.  C.  G.  Pearse,  Superintendent  of  Schools,  Milwaukee, 
Wisconsin. 

100 

EXERCISES  IN  LETTER  WRITING 

Write  one  or  more  of  the  following  letters :  — 

1.  To  your  aunt,  telling  her  about  your  school. 

2.  To  an  acquaintance,  telling  about  a  baseball  or  a  basket- 
ball game  in  which  you  took  part  or  which  you  saw. 

3.  To  your  cousin  Isabelle  Barrett,  telling  her  how  you  ex- 
pect to  spend  the  Easter  vacation. 

4.  To  your  father  who  is  camping  with  others  in  the  Maine 
woods.  Tell  him  what  has  happened  at  home  since  he  left, 
and  whether  you  miss  him. 

5.  To  a  city  girl,  describing  a  country  store. 

6.  To  your  mother,  telling  what  happened  in  school  yester- 
day. 

7.  To  your  father,  telling  him  what  you  have  learned  about 
letter  writing. 

8.  Imagine  that  you  are  spending  a  summer  vacation  on  a 
farm.  Write  your  mother  about  the  way  you  spend  your  time; 
tell  what  you  like  about  country  life,  and  the  reasons. 

9.  Imagine  that  you  live  in  the  country  and  are  telling  a 
girl  in  the  city  how  you  spend  your  time. 

10.  Imagine  that  your  teacher  has  asked  you  to  write  her  a 
letter  during  vacation.  Tell  her  about  some  book  you  have 
read  since  school  closed ;  who  wrote  the  book  ;  what  it  is 
about ;  what  characters  you  liked  best  and  why. 


BUSINESS  LETTERS  107 

101 

BUSINESS  LETTERS 

Diagram  Showing  the  Parts  and  Proper  Arrangement  of  a 
Business  Letter 


ffeading 
Address 


Salutation  Body  of  Utter 


Complimentary  ending 


Signature 


A  business  letter  needs  to  be  written  with  even 
more  care  than  a  friendly  letter,  because  a  careless 
heading,  an  illegible  signature,  or  a  failure  to  make 


108  LESSONS  IN  ENGLISH 

one's  meaning  clear  may  lead  to  serious  loss  or  in- 
convenience. When  a  person  is  answering  a  business 
letter,  he  generally  looks  at  the  heading  to  see  how 
the  answer  is  to  be  directed.  For  this  reason  it  is 
well,  in  the  heading,  to  name  the  post  office,  county, 
and  state,  if  the  place  is  not  well  known ;  the  street 
and  number  if  it  be  a  city. 

In  a  business  letter  the  address  of  the  person  or 
firm  to  whom  the  letter  is  written  should  be  given  at 
the  left  of  the  page,  one  line  below  the  heading.  The 
address  should  contain  the  same  items  as  the  super- 
scription (page  104)  and  may  occupy  several  lines. 

In  business  letters  the  salutation  may  be  followed  by 
a  comma,  a  colon,  or  a  colon  and  a  dash.  The  body  of 
the  letter  often  begins  on  the  same  line  with  the  saluta- 
tion, especially  if  the  address  is  long.     (See  diagram.) 

In  addressing  a  firm  use  the  title  Messrs.;  as, 
Messrs.  Fitch  &  Holland,  and  in  the  salutation  use 
Dear  Sirs,  or  Gentlemen. 

In  closing  a  business  letter  the  forms  "  Yours  truly," 
'^  Yours  very  truly,"  and  "  Very  truly  yours  "  are  most 
frequently  used.  The  full  name  of  the  writer  should 
be  signed  at  the  end,  as  this  usually  indicates  whether 
the  writer  is  a  man  or  a  woman.  This  information  is 
often  important  in  writing  a  reply. 

Exercise On  the  following  page  are  examples  of 

common  form,s  of  business  letters.  Copy  each  one. 
Write  each  from  dictation. 


t 


BUSINESS  LETTERS  109 

102 

606  Mehlhorn  Block, 
Seattle,  Wash., 

The  Spauldixg  Co.,  •^^"-  1'  ^^'^^ 

14  Market  St., 

San  Francisco,  Cal. 
Gentlemen :     Inclosed  please  find  P.  0.  order   for   twelve 
dollars  ($12.00)  for  which  send  me  a  five-dollar  basket  ball 
and  a  seven-dollar  basket-ball  suit,  as  quoted  in  your  catalogue. 

Yours  respectfully, 

F.  B.  Gates. 

2614  Main  St., 
Buffalo,  N.Y., 
The  Century  Co.,  •^^"-  ^2,  1908. 

Union  Square, 
New  York  City. 
Dear  Sirs : 

Inclosed  please  find  money  order  for  three  dollars  ($3.00) 
for  which  send  the  St.  Nicholas  for  one  year,  beginning  with  the 
February  number,  to  Mrs.  John  Copeland,  2614  Main  Street. 

Yours  respectfully, 

Miss  Pearl  E.  Woodward. 

178  St.  James  St., 
Montreal,  Can., 
The  Macmillan  Co.,  Ja°-  ^l.  1907. 

64-66  Fifth  Avenue, 

New  York  City. 
Dear  Sirs: — Please  send  by  express  to  above  address  four 
(4)  dozen  Emerson  &  Bender's  "  Words  Spoken  and  Written," 

Book  Two,  and  charge  to  my  account. 

Very  truly  yours, 

Spencer  S.  Newman. 


110  LESSONS  IN  ENGLISH 

103 

APPLICATIONS   FOR  POSITIONS 

The  daily  papers  of  any  large  city  usually  contain 
advertisements  for  persons  to  fill  positions  of  various 
kinds.  Much  depends  on  the  letter  of  application 
written  in  answer  to  such  advertisements.  When 
there  are  many  applicants  for  a  position,  the  letter 
that  is  in  proper  form,  neat  in  appearance,  correct  in 
grammar,  punctuation,  and  spelling,  is  the  most  likely 
to  receive  attention. 

In  writing  a  letter  of  application  be  modest  in 
speaking  of  your  own  qualifications,  state  briefly  your 
age,  what  schooling  you  have  had,  and  any  experience 
which  has  fitted  you  for  doing  well  the  kind  of  work 
required. 

(Advertisement) 

Wanted.  —  A  boy,  quick  and  accurate  in  figures,  to  assist  in 
office.     Address  F.  A.  V.,  Tribune  Office. 

(Reply) 

220  Hanson  St., 

Minneapolis,  Minn., 
Jan.  28,  1908. 
F.  A.  v., 

Tribune  Office. 

Dear  Sir :  — 

Having  seen  in  to-day's  Tribune  your  advertisement  for  a 
boy,  quick  and  accurate  at  figures,  to  assist  in  the  office,  I  wish 
to  apply  for  the  position. 

I  am  fifteen  years  old,  and  have  just  graduated  from  the 


PRACTICE  IN  LETTER    WRITING  111 

Bryant  School.  My  reports  state  that  I  have  always  stood 
near  the  head  of  my  class  in  arithmetic,  and  I  feel  confident 
that  so  far  as  quickness  and  accuracy  in  figures  are  concerned, 
I  am  qualified  to  fill  the  place. 

If  you  will  kindly  allow  me  to  call  at  your  place  of  business, 
I  will  furnish  you  with  testimonials  regarding  my  character 
and  ability. 

Hoping  this  application  will  receive  favorable  considera- 
tion, I  remain 

Yours  respectfully, 
Harry  Goodwin. 
104 

PRACTICE  IX  LETTER   WRITING 

1.  You  are  to  be  absent  from  home  for  two  months  and  wish 
to  have  a  magazine  or  paper  (for  which  you  are  a  regular  sub- 
scriber) sent  to  your  new  address.  Write  the  letter.  Mention 
the  old  address  as  well  as  the  new. 

2.  Write  for  information  about  kodaks  to  The  Eastman  Co., 
Rochester,  N.Y. 

3.  Write  to  a  librarian  applying  for  a  position  in  a  library. 
Ask  for  a  reply  and  inclose  stamp. 

4.  You  have  been  kept  from  school  for  several  days  by  ill- 
ness. Write  a  letter  to  your  teacher,  explaining  your  absence, 
and  stating  when  you  expect  to  return. 

5.  You  wish  to  work  during  the  summer  vacation.  W^rite  a 
letter  to  a  grocer,  stating  what  you  can  do,  and  ask  for  a  reply. 
Inclose  a  stamp. 

6.  You  are  the  secretary  of  a  debating  club.  Write  to  the 
secretary  of  another  debating  club,  proposing  a  debate,  stating 
the  question,  and  other  important  details. 

7.  The  boys  of  your  neighborhood  wish  to  use  a  vacant  lot  for 
practicing  football.     Write  to  the  owner,  asking  his  permission. 


112  LESSONS  IN  ENGLISH 

8.  Write  to  Harbach  &  Co.,  809  Filbert  St.,  Philadelphia, 
asking  for  their  catalogue  of  magic  lanterns  and  slides. 

9.  Look  on  the  first  page  of  your  arithmetic  or  reader  and 
find  the  name  of  the  publisher.  Imagine  you  are  the  principal 
of  a  school  ordering  two  dozen  copies  and  inclosing  post-ofiice 
order  for  twelve  dollars  to  pay  for  them.     Write  the  letter. 

10.  Write  to  the  superintendent  of  schools,  or  to  some  other 
school  official,  asking  when  the  summer  vacation  will  begin  and 
end.  Tell  him  why  you  wish  to  have  the  information,  and  thank 
him  in  advance  for  giving  it. 

11.  Write  to  some  imaginary  firm  in  the  nearest  large  city, 
asking  the  price  of  some  article  you  would  like  to  have.  De- 
scribe its  size,  quality,  etc.,  so  that  the  merchant  will  know  ex- 
actly what  you  want. 

12.  Miss  Maud  Sellers,  who  resides  at  4  Walden  Place, 
Richmond,  Va.,  wishes  a  catalogue  of  the  Female  Normal 
School,  Farmville,  Va.  She  does  not  know  the  president's 
name.     Write  her  letter  to  the  president. 

13.  Write  to  Perry  Mason  Co.,  publishers  of  the  Youth's 
Companion,  Boston,  Mass.,  inclosing  P.  0.  order  for  one  dollar 
and  seventy -five  cents  to  pay  for  one  year's  subscription. 

105 


SOCIAL   NOTES 

Short  letters  of  invitation,  of  acceptance  or  regret, 
of  thanks  for  a  gift,  etc.,  are  called  notes.  When  these 
are  written  to  intimate  friends,  they  are  like  friendly 
letters,  except  that  the  heading,  instead  of  being  at 
the  top  is  usually  written  at  the  lower  left  side,  op- 
posite the  signature.  Notes  which  have  a  salutation 
and  a  signature  are  called  informal  notes. 


FORMAL  NOTES  113 

Informal  Note 

Tennyson  wrote  the  following  letter  on  receipt 
of  a  book  made  up  of  copies  of  bis  poems. 

Farringford,  England, 

March,  1885. 
My  dear  young  Friends, 

Your  Christmas  greeting  only  reached 
me  the  day  before  yesterday,  and  it  was  very  welcome.  I  thank 
you  heartily  for  having  taken  so  much  trouble  to  show  me  that 
what  I  have  written  gives  you  pleasure.  Such  kindly  memorials 
as  yours  make  me  hope  that,  though  the  national  bond  between 
England  and  America  was  broken,  the  natural  one  of  blood  and 
language  may  bind  us  closer  and  closer  from  century  to  century. 

Believe  me. 

Your  true  old  friend, 
Tennyson. 
106  — 

FORMAL   NOTES 
Formal  notes  are  written  in  the  third  person :  — 

Formal  Invitation 

Mr.  George  Stanley  requests  the  pleasure  of  Mr.  Edward 
Frisbie's   company  at  dinner  on  Wednesday,  May  sixth,  at 
seven  o'clock  to  meet  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Peter  Brackett. 
24  North  Street, 
May  twenty-first,  1909. 

Acceptance 

;Mr.  Edward  Frisbie  accepts  with  pleasure  the  kind  invi- 
tation of  Mr.  George  Stanley  to  dinner  for  May  sixth  to  meet 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Peter  Brackett. 

120  Delaware  Avenue, 
May  twenty-first,  1909. 


114  LESSONS  IN  ENGLISH 

Note  Declining  an  Invitation 

Mr.  Edward  Frisbie  regrets  that  a  previous  engagement  pre- 
vents his  acceptance  of  Mr.  George  Stanley's  kind  invitation 
to  dinner  for  May  sixth  to  meet  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Peter  Brackett. 

120  Delaware  Avenue, 

May  twenty-first. 

107 


EXERCISES   m  WRITING  NOTES   AND   LETTERS 

1.  Write  a  letter  to  a  classmate  or  other  acquaintance,  in- 
viting him  to  drive  with  you  to  a  neighboring  town  on  Satur- 
day.    Mention  time  and  place  of  starting. 

2.  Write  your  friend's  reply,  accepting  the  invitation. 

3.  Write  a  reply,  declining  the  invitation,  giving  a  good 
reason  and  expressing  regret. 

4.  Write  a  letter  to  your  mother,  telling  how  the  school 
celebrated  Washington's  Birthday. 

5.  Write  a  letter  to  an  imaginary  friend  far  away,  telling 
him  or  her  all  the  signs  of  autumn  you  have  noticed,  or  de- 
scribing a  snow  storm,  or  the  coming  of  spring. 

6.  Describe,  in  a  letter  to  your  teacher,  your  room  at 
home,  or  what  you  see  from  your  window. 

7.  Tell  in  a  letter  to  some  friend  how  to  make  a  kite,  a 
bird  house,  or  a  raft. 

8.  W>ite  a  note,  inviting  the  superintendent  of  schools  to 
be  present  at  some  special  exercise  in  your  room. 

9.  W^rite  to  a  pupil  who  has  left  school,  expressing  your 
regret. 

10.  W^rite  to  a  dear  friend  a  note  of  thanks  for  a  gift  which 
pleased  you. 

11.  W^rite  a  letter  to  a  friend  telling  him  or  her  about  a 
pet  animal,  or  your  garden. 


TELEGRAMS  115 


108 


TELEGRAMS 

I?i  writing  telegrams,  note  the  folloiving  :  — 

I.    Write  the  name  and  address  fully  and  plainly, 
as  no  charge  is  made  for  either  the  address  or  the 


signature. 


II.  State  your  business  briefly  but  clearly,  confin- 
ing yourself  if  possible  to  ten  words. 

III.  Do  not  use  figures  in  the  body  of  a  telegram  ; 
spell  out  the  numbers. 

Exercise.  —  Condense  each  of  the  following  into  a 
telegram  of  not  more  than  ten  ivords  :  — 

1.  It  is  impossible  for  me  to  leave  to-day.  I  will  take  the 
first  train  to-morrow. 

2.  You  telegraphed  me  that  John  would  arrive  on  train 
number  twenty-nine.  He  was  not  on  that  train.  Is  anything 
wrong  ? 

3.  In  my  order  for  copybooks  to-day  I  made  a  mistake  in 
sending  for  number  two.     What  I  want  is  number  three. 

4.  We  have  had  a  fire  in  our  store.  The  damage  was  not 
heavy.     We  are  ready  for  business. 

5.  Mr.  J.  W.  Elson  of  Albany,  T^.Y.,  wishes  a  personal  in- 
terview with  Mr.  J.  H.  Gilmore  of  Rochester  to-morrow  after- 
noon. Mr.  Elson  wishes  Mr.  Gilmore  to  answer  whether  he 
will  be  in  town  at  that  time.  Write  Mr.  Elson's  telegram. 
Write  Mr.  Gilmore's  answer. 

6.  Your  father  is  aboard  the  overdue  steamer  Barbarossa 
returning  from  Europe.  Telegraph  the  Hamburg-American 
S.  S.  Line,  New  York  City,  asking  if  any  information  about 
the  boat  has  been  received. 


116  LESSONS  IN  ENGLISH 


109 


DISCUSSION   AND   COMPOSITION 
Relating  to  the  Sending  of  Messages 

I.  Discuss  means  at  present  in  use  for  conveying 
thought  to  persons  at  a  distance  from  us.  Collect 
pictures.     Here  are  some  suggestions :  — 

United  States  Mail.  District  Messenger  Service. 

Telegraph.  Carrier  Pigeons. 

Telephone.  Signaling  at  Sea  and  on  Land. 

Phonograph.  Wireless  Telegraph. 

II.  Discuss  all  that  enters  into  the  journey  of  a 
letter  from  the  time  it  leaves  your  desk^^  until  it  is 
delivered  at  its  destination  :  — 

Name  all  persons  who  handle  it. 

Name  all  receptacles  and  vehicles  in  which  it  is  carried. 
Describe  all  marks  that  are  added  to  it. 
Speak  of  the  fate  it  may  have  if  you  do  not  address  it 
plainly,  or  add  the  necessary  postage. 

III.  Write  a  true  or  imaginary  story,  telling  the 
adventure  of  one  of  the  following  :  — 

1.  A  Postage  Stamp.  4.   A  Forgotten  Key  returned 

2.  A  Rural  Mail  Carrier.  by  Mail. 

3.  A  Lost  Christmas  Package.    5.  A  Miscarried  Valentine. 

TV.    Write  a  description  of  one  of  the  following:  — 

1.  A  Postman,  at  ordinary  times,  at  Christmas,  at  St.  Valen- 
tine's Day. 

2.  Your  Post  Office.  4.   A  Mail  Car. 

3.  A  Mail  Box.  5.   A  Mail  Bag. 


DISCUSalON  AND  COMPOSITION 


117 


V.  Write  a  composition  about  the  first  telegraph 
between  Baltimore  and  Washington,  or  about  the 
laying  of  the  first  cable  under  the  Atlantic  Ocean. 

VI.  Write  a  paragraph,  telling  what  the  different 
parts  of  a  letter  are  and  how  they  should  be  written. 

VII.  A  letter  and  a  telegram  are  in  dispute,  each 
claiming  to  be  of  greater  service  than  the  other. 
Pretend  that  you  are  one  of  these,  let  some  one  else 
be  the  other.  Prove  your  claims  to  the  class.  With 
which  does  the  class  agree  ? 


PART   III 

THE   PARTS   OF   SPEECH,  LITERATURE,  AND 
COMPOSITION 


no 


SOWING 
Conversation  about  a  Great  Picture 

Look  again  and  again  at  one  of  the  most  famous  pic- 
tures of  modern  times. 

When  the  whole  picture  has  stamped  itself  upon 
your  mind  so  deeply  that  you  will  never  forget  it,  then 
examine  its  parts,  and  find  a  meaning  for  everything 
you  see.     Do  it  in  this  way  :  — 

1.  Name  every  figure  or  line  shown  or  suggested. 

2.  What  is  the  sower  doing?  thinking?  hoping  ? 

3.  What  kind  of  workman  is  he  ?  Note  all  the  good 
qualities  which  the  artist's  brush  has  painted  for  you  to  see  and 
admire  and  imitate  ;  how  strong  the  sower  is,  how  intent  upon 
his  task,  how  familiar  with  the  best  way  of  doing  it. 

4.  Think  of  the  sower  not  as  a  person  posing  for  his  portrait, 
but  as  one  who  represents  all  people,  young  or  old,  rich  or  poor, 
great  or  small,  who  daily  sow  any  good  seed  of  plant,  or  thought 
or  deed. 

5.  The  sower  sows  now  to  reap  —  when  ? 

118 


The  Sower. 


119 


120  LESSONS  IN  ENGLISH 

6.  By  and  b}'-,  go  back  to  the  picture  and  see  the  relation 
of  the  sower  to  the  whole  scene;  to  the  rich  soil  under  his  feet. 

7.  Look  once  more  to  see  how  the  sower  and  his  dumb 
brute  brother,  the  ox,  join  in  making  the  soil  serve  our  needs. 

After  thinking  all  these  things  over,  you  will  begin  to  know 
how  fine  is  the  picture  and  how  great  an  artist  was  Millet. 

Oral  Exercises. — I.  Collect  cojjies  of  3Iillefs pictures. 
Study  them  until  this  artist's  way  or  style  of  painting 
means  something  to  you.     Begin  with  these  :  — 

The  Gleaners.  The  First  Step.  Feeding  her  Birds. 

The  Shepherdess.  The  Angelus.  Spring. 

II.  What  do  the  above  titles  tell  you  about  the 
artist  ?    Learn  other  things  about  him,  as  follows :  — 

Birthplace  and  early  life.    • 
Education  in  and  out  of  school. 
His  struggles  to  become  a  good  artist. 
Favorite  subjects  —  his  fame. 


HI 


THE  THROSTLE 

"  Summer  is  coming,  summer  is  coming, 

I  know  it,  I  know  it,  I  know  it. 

Light  again,  leaf  again,  life  again,  love  again," 

Yes,  my  wild  little  Poet. 

Sing  the  new  year  in  under  the  blue. 
Last  year  you  sang  it  as  gladly. 
"  New,  new,  new,  new !  "     Is  it  then  so  new 
That  you  should  carol  so  madly  ? 


WORD   WORK  IN  SENTENCES  121 

"  Love  again,  song  again,  nest  again,  young  again," 

Never  a  prophet  so  crazy  ! 

And  hardly  a  daisy  as  yet,  little  friend, 

See,  there  is  hardly  a  daisy. 

"  Here  again,  here,  here,  here,  happy  year !  " 
0  warble  un chidden,  unbidden  ! 
Summer  is  coming,  is  coming,  my  dear. 
And  all  the  winters  are  hidden. 

—  Alfred,  Lord  Texnyson. 

Bead  the  poem.  How  much  the  song  of  a  little 
bird,  a  thrush,  meant  to  Tennyson  !  What  did  "  the 
wild  little  Poet,"  the  throstle,  sing  ?  What  did  the 
great  poet,  Tennyson,  reply  ? 

Name  over  all  the  signs  of  coming  summer  given  in 
the  song.     Are  you  glad  of  them  all  ? 

112 


WORD  WORK  IN  SENTENCES 

Lord  Tennyson  used  no  fewer  than  fifty  different 
words  in  writing  the  charming  poem  on  page  120,  a 
small  number  when  compared  with  the  words  you 
find  in  this  book.  But  when  you  study  the  ways  in 
which  the  poet  or  any  one  else  uses  words  in  compos- 
ing sentences,  you  learn  that  all  words  can  be  divided 
into  eight  great  classes  called  parts  of  speech.  If 
you  followed  every  direction  given  in  Lesson  110, 
you  used  properly  one  or  more  words  of  each  class. 
The  following  lessons  will  teach  you  how  to  know 
each  class  or  part  of  speech  by  name. 


122  LESSONS  IN  ENGLISH 


113 


NOUNS 

I.  Name  a  person  whom  you  see  now. 

II.  Name  the  place  ivhere  you  live  7ioiv. 

III.  Name  a  thing  that  you  can  touch  noio. 
Words   that  are  used  as  names  are  called  nouns. 

The  names  that  you  gave  in  I,  11,  and  III  are  nouns. 

Definition.  —  A  noun  is  a  word  used  as  the  name  of  a  person, 
place,  or  thing. 

Oral  Exercise Give  names  as  follows  :  — 

1.  Of  live  persons  whom  you  know  well. 

2.  Of  three  large  cities  you  would  like  to  visit. 

3.  Of  two  flowers  whose  fragrance  is  pleasant. 

4.  Of  six  things  used  at  table. 

5.  Of  four  parts  of  a  book. 

6.  Of  three  things  seen  in  the  picture  on  page  119. 

What  are  words  that  are  used  as  names  called  ? 
Repeat  ten  nouns  that  you  have  used  in  this  lesson. 
Written  Exercises.  —  I.    Copy  the  nouns  :  — 

1.  Greece  is  a  small  country  of  southern  Europe. 

2.  It  has  a  very  crooked  coast  line  with  many  peninsulas, 
islands,  deep  bays,  and  fine  harbors. 

3.  The  surface  of  the  land  is  high  and  rocky. 

4.  The  people  who  live  in  this  country  are  called  Greeks. 

5.  At  one  time  the  Greeks  were  the  foremost  people  of  the 
world  in  learning,  government,  and  art. 

II.  Rewrite  the  sentences  in  Written  Exercise  /, 
grouping  them  to  form  a  paragraph.  Give  the  para- 
graph an  appropriate  name,  or  title. 


PHACTICE 


123 


114 


PRACTICE 

I.  Copj/  the  following  paragraph  :  — 

You  cannot  forget,  if  you  would,  those  golden  kisses  all 
over  the  cheeks  of  the  meadow,  queerly  called  dandelions. 
There  are  many  greenhouse  blossoms  less  pleasing  to  us  than 
these.  And  we  have  reached  through  many  a  fence,  since  we 
were  shut  up  in  a  city,  to  pluck  one  of  these  yellow  flowers. 
Their  passing  away  is  more  spiritual  than^their  bloom.  Noth- 
ing can  be  more  airy  and  beautiful  than  the  transparent  seed 
globe,  a  fairy  dome  of  splendid  architecture.  —  Henry  Ward 
Beecher. 

Select  the  nouns.  Consult  the  dictionary  to  find  the 
meaning  of :  — 

dandelion,  spiritual,  transparent,  dome,  architecture. 

Word  Study 

Noun  means  name. 

II.  Write  a  paragraph  describing  one  of  the  follow- 
ing :  — 

A  common  wild  flower. 

A  flower  which  grows  in  the  house. 

A  favorite  garden  flower. 


124  LESSONS  IN  ENGLISH 


115 


COMMON  AND   PROPER  NOUNS 

Bead  these  sentences  :  — 

Isaac  is  a  clever  boy.  Rachel  is  a  pretty  girl. 

What  do  you  call  the  words  Isaac,  hoy,  Rachel, 
girl  f     Why  ? 

The  noun  hoy  may  mean  any  boy  in  your  class  or 
anywhere  else,  but  the  noun  Isaac  means  a  certain  or 
particular  boy.     Do  you  know  a  boy  of  that  name  ? 

The  noun  girl  may  mean  any  and  every  girl,  but 
the  noun  JRachel  belongs  to  a  particular  girl. 

A  noun  that  names  any  one  of  a  class  is  called  a 
common  noun ;  hoy  is  a  common  noun. 

A  noun  that  names  a  particular  person  is  called  a 
proper  noun ;  Isaac  is  a  proper  noun. 

The  words  commo7i  and  j^^oper  are  also  used  in 
speaking  of  the  names  of  places  or  things  ;  thus  :  — 

Mount  Washington  is  a  high  mountain. 
Monday  is  the  first  sehool  day  of  the  week. 
Greece  is  a  beautiful  country. 

Mount  Washington,  Mo7iday,  and  Greece  are  proper 
nouns ;  mountain^  day,  and  country  are  the  corre- 
sponding common  nouns. 

Remember.  —  All  proper  nouns  should  begin  with  capital 
letters. 

Exercises.  —  I.  Pick  out  the  proper  nouns.  Name 
the  corresponding  common  noun  in  each  case :  — 


SURNAMES  AND  GIVEN  NAMES  125 

1.  We  leave  town  on  Tuesday. 

2.  I  was  born  in  August. 

3.  Germany  is  proud  of  the  Rhine. 

4.  In  Holland  windmills  are  of  great  service. 

5.  Of  all  American  lakes,  Superior  is  the  largest. 

6.  We  sailed  oi;  the  good  ship  Carpathia. 

7.  Captain  Barr  was  a  fine  officer. 

8.  Are  you  going  to  Chicago  soon  ? 

II.  Pick  out  five  proper  nouns  in  the  next  lesson, 

III.  Write  ten  proper  nouns,  naming  persons  or 
places  you  hioio  well. 

116 

SURNAMES  AND   GIVEN  NAMES 

General  Robert  E.  Lee  was  a  gallant  soldier  and 
most  courteous  gentleman.  His  father,  Light-Horse 
Harry  Lee,  was  a  soldier  before  him,  a  dashing  fighter 
in  the  Revolutionary  War.  When  he  married,  Robert 
Lee  chose  as  his  wife  a  young  lady  of  most  distin- 
guished family.  She  was  related  to  President  Wash- 
ington himself.  So  you  see  General  Lee  had  the 
advantage  of  living  with  people  of  the  highest  char- 
acter and  gentlest  manners.  This  story  is  told  about 
him :  — 

General  Lee  was  once  a  passenger  in  a  crowded  railway 
train.  Presently  an  aged  woman,  poorly  dressed  and  carry- 
ing a  heavy  basket,  boarded  the  train.  She  walked  from 
one  car  to  another  without  finding  a  seat,  and  no  one  offered 
her  one.  At  last  she  came  to  the  place  where  General  Lee 
was  sitting.     He  rose  at  once.     Lifting  his  hat  politely,  he 


126  LESSONS  IN  ENGLISH 

said,  "  Madam,  pray  take  this  seat."  In  an  instant  a  dozen 
men  offered  to  give  their  seats  to  the  general,  but  he  refused 
them  all,  saying,  "  If  there  was  no  seat  for  this  old  lady,  there 
is  none  for  me." 

Conversation.  —  How  many  names  have  we  used  in 
speaking  of  General  Lee  ?  What  kind  of  name  did 
we  apply  to  his  father  ?  What  one  name  have  we 
used  in  every  case  for  father  and  son  ?  This  is  called 
the  family  or  surname.  The  given  or  Christian  name 
is  the  name  given  to  a  child  by  its  parents  or  guard- 
ians. 

Exercises.  —  I.    Write  your  surname. 

II.  Write  your  given  7iame.  If  you  think  it  will 
interest  your  classmates,  tell  how  you  happened  to  be 
given  this  name  rather  than  another. 

III.  Select  all  the  titles,  initials,  nicknames,  given 
names,  and  surnames  used  in  the  story. 

IV.  Write  the  story  iii  your  oivn  ivords. 


117 


READING   AND  MENTAL  PICTURING 

Barbarossa 

Many  hundred  years  ago  Germany  had  a  great  and  just 
Emperor  called  Frederick  Barbarossa.  The  name  Barbarossa 
was  given  him  because  of  his  long  red  beard. 

When  he  was  already  an  old  man,  Barbarossa  undertook 
a  journey  to  the  Holy  Land,  taking  with  him  one  hundred 
and  fifty  thousand  of  his  best  soldiers.     One  day  this  great 


READING  AND  MENTAL  PICTURING  127 

army  had  to  cross  a  broad  river.  The  Emperor,  without  wait- 
ing to  dismount  from  his  horse,  plunged  into  the  stream  and 
was  drowned. 

His  broken-hearted  soldiers  carried  the  body  back  to  Ger- 
many and  placed  it  in  a  deep  cavern  far  up  a  mountain  side. 
The  peasants  even  now  point  out  the  mouth  of  the  cavern. 
They  say  that  within  it  the  Emperor  rests  in  an  enchanted 
sleep.  Once  every  hundred  years,  so  their  story  runs,  Bar- 
barossa  wakens.  He  sends  a  dwarf  to  see  if  the  ravens  fly 
about  the  mountain  peak.  If  they  are  seen,  the  Emperor 
sinks  again  into  a  century  of  sleep. 

Barbarossa  sits,  they  say,  leaning  upon  a  great  stone  table 
through  which  his  long  red  beard  has  grown,  reaching  the  floor 
of  his  cavern,  and  winding  itself  about  the  table.  Thus  he 
sleeps  and  waits  for  the  happy  hour  when  ravens  shall  no 
more  fly  about  the  mountain.  Then  will  he  come  forth  with 
his  knights  and  bring  back  great  glory  to  Germany. 

Study  of  the  Story.  —  Bead  this  story  through 
silenthj.  Then  study  it  with  your  teacher  as  fol- 
loivs  :  — 

1.  Frederick  Barbarossa.  AVho  was  he  ?  When  did  he  live  ? 
Where?  Why  was  he  called  Barbarossa?  Read  the  first 
paragraph  again. 

2.  To  the  Holy  Land. — What  pilgrimage  did  Frederick 
undertake  ?  Who  went  with  him  ?  How  did  it  end  ?  Read 
the  second  paragraph  again.  Picture  the  aged  monarch  in 
his  heavy  armor  plunging  into  the  stream. 

3.  TJie  Sad  Return.  —  Where  did  the  soldiers  take  the 
body  of  their  Emperor?  What  story  do  the  peasants  tell 
about  the  cavern  ?     Read  the  third  paragraph. 

4.  Barbarossa^ s    Sleep.  —  Describe    the    Emperor    asleep. 


128  LESSONS  IN  ENGLISH 

When  will  he  come  forth  ?     What  will  he  bring  to  Germany  ? 
Eead  the  last  paragraph. 

Exercises.  —  I.   Bead  the  whole  story  aloud, 
II.    Copy  the  topics  pri^ited  m  italics.     Expand  each 
into  a  sentence.     Use  the  topics  as  a  guide  in  telling 
this  famous  legend.     Find  Germany  on  a  map. 

118 


LEGENDS   AND  OTHER   TALES 
Conversation 

The  story  of  Barbarossa  belongs  to  a  class  of 
tales  called  legends.  Legends  tell  about  things 
that  happened  long,  long  ago.  In  such  stories, 
truth  is  mingled  with  much  that  can  never  be  proved, 
but  that  many  people  believe,  nevertheless.  The 
most  famous  legends  belong  to  a  time  when  common 
people  could  not  write  down  true  accounts  of  what 
was  happening^  and  when  there  were  no  newspapers 
or  magazines  to  report  and  preserve  them. 

What  do  you  think  true  in  the  story  of  Bar- 
barossa ?  There  are  some  interesting  legends  con- 
nected with  the  history  of  our  own  country  ;  the  one 
that  tells  how  the  Indian  Pocahontas  saved  the  life 
of  Captain  John  Smith  is  an  especial  favorite  with 
children.     Tell  it  if  you  can. 

You  have  heard  or  read/a&?es,  myths,  fairy  stories, 
legends,  and  true  stories  since  you  were  a  little  child. 
Do  you  like  one  kind  of  story  better  than  another  ? 
Which  kind  do  you  like  best  ?     Do  you  know  why  ? 


COMPOSITION  129 


119 


COMPOSITION 

Composition,  as  you  know,  may  be  either  oral  or 
written.  Any  expression  of  thought  is  composition. 
Whenever  you  talk,  whether  at  home,  or  at  school,  or 
on  the  playground  ;  whenever  you  tell  what  you  have 
seen  or  done,  or  speak  of  any  point  of  interest  in 
your  studies,  you  are  composing. 

Oral  composition  always  comes  before  written. 
You  were  able  to  talk  your  thoughts  before  you  at- 
tempted to  write  them. 

You  should  now  learn  to  criticise  your  own  com- 
positions, and  to  aid  your  classmates  in  the  criticism 
of  their  work.  In  studying,  writing,  or  criticising 
you  must  give  attention  to  four  things  :  — 

1.  To  outward  execution  ;  that  is,  to  spelling,  capi- 
talization, and  punctuation,  which  appeal  mainly  to 
the  eye. 

2.  To  correct  expression  of  thought.  If  you  say, 
"John  and  me  was  there,"  the  meaning  is  plain 
enough,  but  the  language  is  not  correct. 

3.  To  the  arrangement  of  thought  in  proper  form 
and  order. 

4.  To  working  out  for  yourself  interesting  material 
about  a  given  subject. 

By  study  and  practice  you  will  gradually  learn  to 
think  for  yourselves  and  to  arrange  your  thoughts  in 
good  order. 


130  LESSONS  IN  ENGLISH 


120 


MAKING   AN    OUTLINE 

Young  writers  often  have  difficulty  in  finding 
thoughts  to  express  about  a  given  subject.  They  are 
at  a  loss  how  to  begin.  If  a  few  thoughts  come  to 
them,  they  are  apt  to  write  them  down  in  haphazard 
fashion.  They  feel  a  strong  temptation  to  copy  from 
others,  or  even  to  copy  from  books.  Nothing  helps 
to  overcome  these  difficulties  more  than  making  an 
outline. 

If  the  subject  relates  to  something  that  has  come 
within  your  own  experience,  as  "A  School  Excursion," 
you  should  try  to  recall  what  happened,  select  the 
most  important  things,  and  tell  them  in  the  order 
of  their  occurrence.  If  your  subject  is  one  about 
which  you  must  get  information  from  others,  or  in 
books,  aim  at  least  to  plan  an  outline.  Make  notes 
of  what  you  learn.  Put  in  one  group  those  thoughts 
that  explain  one  part  of  the  subject,  and  in  another 
group  those  that  explain  another  part,  and  so  on. 
For  each  group  find  an  appropriate  name  or  topic. 
The  various  topics,  properly  arranged,  will  form  your 
outline  or  plan. 

If  you  were  asked  to  write  on  "  The  American  In- 
dians," you  might  divide  the  subject  into  four  topics  : 
(1)  their  appearance,  (2)  their  dress,  (3)  their  houses, 
(4)  their  habits  or  occupations.  Again,  if  the  sub- 
ject happened  to  be  '-  The  Uses  of  Wood,"  you  could 


WRITING  FROM  OUTLINES  131 

speak  of  its  uses:  (1)  as  fuel,  (2)  for  building  pur- 
poses, (3)  for  making  furniture.  When  you  have 
made  a  list  of  topics,  you  will  not  find  it  difficult 
to  write  a  paragraph  about  each  topic.  This  shows 
how  a  composition  grows. 


121 


WRITING  FROM    OUTLINES 

Study  the  following  plans,  or  outlines  :  — 

A  Picnic  Party 

1.  Preparations,  time,  place,  plans,  looking  forward. 

2.  The  persons,  the  party,  your  companions. 

3.  The  games,  kind,  persons,  incidents. 

4.  The  luncheon,  what,  where,  how  served. 

5.  The  return,  time,  feelings. 

The  Fourth  of  July 

1.  The  morning,  time  of  rising,  noises. 

2.  Spending  money,  how  much,  how  obtained,  how,  when, 
and  where  spent. 

3.  Accidents,  who  injured  and  how. 

4.  The  parade,  who,  when,  and  where. 

5.  Fireworks,  where  and  what. 

Exercises.  — I.  Make  an  outline  of  four  or  five  topics 
for  each  of  the  following  subjects  :  — 

1.  Christmas.  4.    Different  Modes  of  Travel. 

2.  One  Saturday.  5.    A  Day  on  the  Farm. 

3.  The  Ball  Game.  6.   A  Forenoon  in  the  Kitchen. 


132  LESSONS  IN  ENGLISH 

II.  Expand  one  of  the  outlines  into  a  composition. 
Begin  each  paragraph  ^ith  a  good  sentence, 

122 

SYNONYMS  AND   ANTONYMS 

One  secret  of  success  in  composition  is  to  have  a 
good  store  of  suitable  words  ready  for  use.  For  this 
reason  we  need  to  enlarge  our  supply  of  words,  and 
one  good  way  to  do  this  is  to  study  synonyms.  As 
you  have  already  learned,  synonynis  are  words  that 
have  the  same,  or  nearly  the  same,  meaning. 

Words  that  have  opposite,  or  nearly  opposite,  meanings  are 
called  ayitonyms. 

To  THE  Teacher.  —  In  the  following  exercises  the  pupil  should, 
if  necessary,  consult  the  dictionary  for  the  exact  meaning  of  the 
words,  and  then  use  the  words  in  short  sentences. 

1.  Study  the  following  nouns  and  place  those  that 
have  nearly  the  same  meaning  in  columns  by  them- 
selves :  — 

home  clothes  helper  dwelling 

kindness  battle  dress  gentleness 

victory  struggle  assistant  success 

2.  From  the  following  nouns  pick  out  pairs  of 
words  that  have  opposite  meanings :  — 

Example  :  friend  —  enemy, 

friend  poverty  darkness  buyer 

riches  morning  seller  cruelty 

kindness  enemy  evening  light 

pleasure  strife  pain  peace 


THE  DEFENSE  OF  TIIERMOPYL^  133 

3.    For   each  of  the  following   nouns   think   of  a 
noun  with  an  opposite  meaning :  — 

p]xAMPLE  :  success  —  failure. 


success 

falsehood 

love 

gain 

innocence 

victory 

health 

prosperity 

increase 

praise 

hope 

m 

123 

THE   DEFENSE   OF  THERMOPYLAE 

An  Exercise   in  Narration 

Head  silenthj :  — 

More  than  two  thousand  years  ago,  Xerxes,  a  great  king  of 
Persia,  gathered  together  a  million  men  to  invade  Greece.  So 
powerful  was  this  king  that  men  trembled  with  fear  at  his  name. 

To  get  into  the  heart  of  Greece,  Xerxes  had  to  march  through 
a  narrow  pass  called  Thermopylae,  one  side  of  which  was  washed 
by  the  dancing  waves  of  the  sea;  the  other  side  was  walled  in 
by  a  high  precipice.  It  was  a  most  difficult  gateway  to  pass. 
To  guard  it,  the  Greeks  sent  a  small  army.  At  its  head  was 
Leonidas  with  the  bravest  band  in  all  history,  the  Spartan 
Three  Hundred. 

When  Xerxes  drew  near  the  pass,  he  sent  forward  a  great 
company  of  his  strongest  warriors  to  capture  the  Greek  guard. 
All  day  long  they  fought  fiercely,  but  when  night  came  on  the 
Persians  were  driven  back  to  their  angry  king,  thoroughly 
beaten.  The  next  day  and  the  next  Xerxes  sent  out  fresh  sol- 
diers, the  best  men  of  his  army,  but  they,  too,  had  to  give  up. 


134  LESSONS  IN  ENGLISH 

At  last,  treachery  did  what  fair  fighting  failed  to  do.  A 
traitor  told  Xerxes  about  a  secret  path  that  led  over  the  moun- 
tain down  into  the  pass.  That  night,  Persian  soldiers  crept 
along  the  path  and  stole  into  the  pass. 

Leonidas,  with  his  Spartan  heroes,  now  almost  all  that  was 
left  of  the  little  army,  saw  that  he  must  fight  the  enemy  in 
two  places,  front  and  rear.  Did  he  give  up  on  this  account  ? 
Not  he  !  Was  he  not  a  Spartan  ?  He  began  the  battle 
afresh.  What  a  battle  it  was  !  The  men  were  driven  forward 
and  backward  in  the  narrow  pass ;  some  were  swept  into  the 
sea,  others  were  trampled  under  foot.  When  their  spears 
broke,  they  fought  with  swords.  When  their  swords  broke, 
they  fought  with  bare  fists.  And  so  the  fight  went  on  until 
not  a  single  one  of  the  brave  Spartans  w^as  left  alive.  But 
the  memory  of  their  heroic  deed  will  never  die. 

Study  of  the  Story.  —  I.  What  time  is  named  in  the 
story  ?  What  place  ?  What  man  is  named  first  ? 
What  did  he  do  ?  What  kind  of  man  was  he  ?  Bead 
again  the  first  j^aragrajjli.     Give  it  a  title. 

II.  Picture  to  yourself  the  famous  2)ass,  J'hermopylce. 
Whom  did  the  Greeks  send  to  guard  the  pass  ?  Read 
again  the  second  paragraph.     Give  it  a  title. 

III.  Picture  to  yourself  the  coming  of  Xerxes  and 
his  vast  army.  What  could  the  Greek  guards  hear  ? 
What  could  they  see  ?  How  many  times  did  Xerxes 
send  new  men  out  to  fight  ?  What  happened  to  them 
all  ?  Did  the  Greeks  have  new  men  each  day  ?  Who 
were  the  better  soldiers,  the  Persians  or  the  Greeks  ? 
Pead  again  the  third  paragraph.     Name  it. 

IV.  What    do    the    nouns    traitor   and    treachery 


THE  DEFENSE  OF  THERMOPTL^  135 

mean  ?     Who   was    helped    by    treachery  ?     How  ? 
Bead  again  the  fourth  paragraph.     Name  it. 

y.  Did  Leonidas  give  up  when  he  saw  that  he 
could  not  hold  the  pass  ?  Why  could  he  not  hold  it  ? 
What  does  this  paragraph  teach  about  the  Spartans  ? 
Sometimes  men  speak  of  "  Spartan  courage."  Can 
you  think  what  that  means  ?  Read  again  the  last 
paragrajyh  of  the  story.     Give  it  a  title. 

To  THE  Teacheh.  —  Pupils  should  be  given  practice  in  finding 
paragraph  topics  until  they  can  do  it  readily.  Let  them  make  topical 
outlines  of  suitable  selections  to  be  found  in  their  readers. 

124 


Oral  Exercise.  —  Tell  the  story  of  the  defense  of 
Thermojjylce.  Use  these  titles  or  topics  as  an  outline 
of  the  lohole  story  :  — 

1.  Time;  place;  Xerxes. 

2.  Thermopylae,  tlie  gateway  to  Greece. 

3.  Xerxes  tries  three  times  to  take  the  pass. 

4.  Treachery  helps  the  Persians. 

5.  Leonidas  and  the  last  fight. 

Leonidas  and  his  Spartan  Three  Hundred  lost  the  pass, 
they  lost  their  lives,  but  they  won  everlasting  glory. 

Word  Study 
Repeat  aloud.     Use  in  interesting  sentences :  — 

He  drives.  He  drove.  He  has  driven. 

They  are  swept.      They  were  swept.      They  have  been  swept. 

They  are  beaten.     They  were  beaten.     They  have  been  beaten. 
Pronounce:  Thermopylae,  Leonidas,  Xerxes. 


136  LESSONS  IN  ENGLISH 


125 


STUDY  OF  A  plan- 
No  tice  that  the  first  paragraph  in  the  story  on 
page  133,  names  one  of  the  important  persons  of  the 
story,  Xerxes,  the  King ;  the  time  of  the  story,  many 
years  ago ;  the  place,  Greece ;  and  ivhy  Xerxes  was 
there,  to  invade  the  country.  The  second  paragraph 
explains  about  the  pass  of  Thermopylas,  introduces 
Leonidas,  and  thus  prepares  us  for  the  story.  We 
speak  of  this  part  as  the  introduction. 

Notice  that  the  incidents,  or  events,  are  told  in  the 
order  in  which  they  occurred.  What  happened  first? 
What  next  ?  Name  all  the  incidents  in  their  order. 
What  is  the  most  interesting  event  ?  In  what  para- 
graph does  it  come  ?  The  incidents  which  make  up 
the  story  itself  are  called  the  body  of  the  story. 

Notice  that  after  the  story  is  told  and  the  fight  is 
ended,  a  single  sentence  is  added.  This  is  called  the 
conclusion.  The  conclusion  of  a  short  story  is  usually 
very  brief  or  omitted  altogether.  Can  you  give  a  rea- 
son for  omitting  it  ? 

Hints  to  help  in  telling  a«story :  — 

1.  Tell  in  the  introduction  the  person  or  persons  about 
whom  the  stoiy  is  told ;    also  the  time  and  place. 

2.  Tell  in  the  body  of  the  story  the  incidents,  or  events,  in 
the  order  in  which  they  happened. 

3.  Stop  when  the  most  interesting  event  (point  or  climax) 
has  been  told. 


VERSES   TO  BE  MEMORIZED  137 

Written  Exercise.  —  Write  a  story  about  one  of  the 
folloichuj  subjects,  using  the  hints  given  above. 

An  Accident  on  the  River.  Caught  in  a  Shower. 

Lost  in  the  Woods.  An  Exciting  Adventure. 

A  Game  of .  All's  well  that  ends  well. 


126 


VERSES  TO   BE  MEMORIZED 

The  following  verses  should  be  read  when  the 
fruit  trees  are  in  bloom.  They  recite  the  magical 
changes  which  the  month  of  May  brings  to  the  out- 
ward world.  Listen  while  some  one  reads  them. 
Are  they  not  beautiful  ? 

May 

May  shall  make  the  world  anew  ; 
Golden  sun  and  silver  dew, 
Money  minted  in  the  sky, 
Shall  the  earth's  new  garments  buy. 
May  shall  make  the  orchards  bloom ; 
And  the  blossoms'  fine  pei-fume 
Shall  set  all  the  honey-bees 
Murmuring  among  the  trees. 
May  shall  make  the  bud  appear 
Like  a  jewel,  crystal  clear, 
'Mid  the  leaves  upon  the  limb 
Where  the  robin  lilts  his  hymn. 
May  shall  make  the  wild  flowers  tell 
Where  the  shininsr  snowflakes  fell : 


138  LESSONS  IN  ENGLISH 

Just  as  though  each  snowflake's  heart, 
By  some  secret,  magic  art, 
Were  transmuted  to  a  flower 
In  the  sunlight  and  the  shower. 
Is  there  such  another,  pray. 
Wonder-making  month  as  May  ? 

—  Prank  Dempster  Sherman. 

Conversation.  —  The  verses  tell  us  four  things  that 
May  is  sure  to  do  for  the  world.  See  if  you  can  dis- 
cover what  the  four  things  are.  Kead  the  group  of 
lines  describing  each. 

How  is  May  to  make  the  world  new  ?  The  poet 
imagines  that  money  coined  in  the  sky  from  "  golden 
sun  and  silver  dew  "  will  buy  new  garments  for  the 
earth.  This  is  the  poet's  way  of  saying  that  the 
sun  and  the  dew  will  bring  forth  grass  and  foliage  to 
cover  the  earth.  What  is  the  second  thing  that  May 
is  going  to  do  ?  What  will  the  blossoms  do  ?  Tell 
another  change  that  May  will  bring.  How  is  a  bud 
like  a  jewel  ?  What  else  will  May  do  ?  What  will 
take  the  place  of  the  snow  ? 

How  would  you  answer  the  last  question  in  the 
poem  ?     Give  a  reason  for  your  answer. 

Now  shut  your  eyes  and  see  the  orchards  in 
bloom,  and  hear  the  murmuring  bees,  and  the  robin 
singing  his  song,  and-  even  scent  the  fine  perfume 
of  the  flowers.  Through  which  of  your  senses  do 
you  know  each  of  these  pleasant  experiences  ?  Which 
do  you  see  ?     Which  do  you  hear  ? 


VERSES   TO  BE  MEMORIZED 


139 


Word  Study 

Learn  the  meaning  of  the  following  words,  and  find  a  syno- 
nym for  each  word  :  — 

minted                             jewel  secret 

garment                           aijstal  magic 

perfume                           lilts  transmuted 

murmuring                     hymn  wonder-making 


Written  Exercise.  —  After  studying  the  above  pic- 
ture, and  the  poem  in  Lesson  126,  and  observing  for 
yourself  the  changes  that  May  brings,  write  a  compo- 
sition on  "  The  Miracle  of  May."  If  you  live  in  the 
North  try  to  recall  a  dull  March  landscape  with  its  leaf- 
less trees  and  flowerless  fields,  with  few  signs  of  bird 
or  insect  to  give  it  life,  and  then  compare  that  gloomy 


140  LESSONS  IN  ENGLISH 

picture  with  the  new  world  of  beautiful  sights  and 
sounds  which  May  creates.  If  you  live  in  the  South 
describe  an  appropriate  scene. 

127 


A  BEAUTIFUL   WORD   PICTURE 

Read  carefully  to  see  this  picture  :  — 

The  little  bird  sits  at  liis  door  in  the  sun, 
Atilt  like  a  blossom  among  the  leaves, 
And  lets  his  illumined  being  o'errun 
With  the  deluge  of  summer  it  receives ; 
His  mate  feels  the  eggs  beneath  her  wings, 
And  the  heart  in  her  dumb  breast  flutters  and  sings ; 
He  sings  to  the  wide  world,  and  she  to  her  nest,  — 
In  the  nice  ear  of  Nature,  which  song  is  the  best  ? 
—  "  The  Vision  of  Sir  Launfal,"  James  Eussell  Lowell. 

128 


VERBS 

Study  these  sentences  :  — 

1.  Grace  fell. 

2.  Alice  helped  her  up. 

3.  Eva  ran  for  some  water. 

Of  how  many  parts  does  every  sentence  consist  ? 
What  does  the  subject  of  a  sentence  do  ?  What  does 
the  predicate  of  a  sentence  do  ? 

What  is  the  subject  of  the  first  sentence  ?  What  is 
the  predicate  ?  The  predicate  in  this  sentence  is  a 
single  word,  fell  ;  it  tells  or  asserts  an  action  of  the 
subject.     Grace  did  what  f     Fell. 


A    USEFUL    VERB  141 

What  is  the  predicate  of  the  second  sentence  ? 
Here  the  word  heljjed  tells  or  asserts  the  action. 

What  is  the  predicate  of  the  third  sentence  ?  The 
word  7^a7i  tells  or  asserts  what  Eva  did.  Words  that 
tell  or  assert  something  are  called  verbs.  Fell,  helped, 
ran,  are  verbs. 

Definition. — A  verb  is  a  word  used  to  tell  or  assert  something 
about  some  person,  place,  or  thing. 

Exercises.  —  I.  Tell  or  assert  what  each  of  the  fol- 
lowing does :  — 

1.  The  clock .  4.   Rain . 

2.  The  wind .  5.   Fire . 

3.  A  soldier .  6.   The  sun . 


What  are  words  called  that  tell  or  assert  something 
about  a  person  or  thing  ?  What  verbs  have  you  used 
in  this  exercise  ? 

II.  Use  the  following  verbs  to  assert  something 
about  proper  subjects :  — 

Stand,  skate,  slide,  hop,  skip,  jumpj  tumble,  roll,  stumble, 
sit,  strut,  walk,  spy,  see. 

III.  Copy  five  verbs  used  on  page  140. 

129 


A  USEFUL  VERB 

What  is  the  predicate  in  each  of  the  following  ? 

1.  This  lesson  is  long. 

2.  The  time  for  study  was  too  short. 


142 


LESSONS  m  ENGLISH 


In  these  sentences  the  same  verb  is  used  in  assert- 
ing something  about  the  subject.  The  verb  in  the 
first  sentence  is  the  little  word  is ;  in  the  second,  it 
is  the  word  ivas  ;  is  and  ivas  are  different  forms  of 
the  verb  to  he.  The  verb  to  he  never  asserts  action ; 
yet  it  is  very  important,  as  you  may  know  from 
the  fact  that  it  is  used  so  often. 

Exercise.  —  Learn  these  forms  of  the  verh  "  to  heT 
Use  them  in  sentences. 


I  am 

We  are 

You  are 

You  are 

He  is 

They  are 

I  was 

We  were 

You  were 

You  were 

He  ivas 

They  were 

I  shall  be 

We  shall  be 

I  have  been 

We  have  been 

He  has  been 

They  have  been 

I  had  been 

We  had  been 

130 


THE   VERB-PHRASE 

Study  the  predicates  i7i  these  sentences  :  — 

1.  Summer  is  coming. 

2.  The  apple  blossoms  have  fallen. 

3.  Flowers  can  be  picked  in  the  fields. 

What  is  asserted  about  summer  in  Sentence  1  ?    The 
two  words  is  coming  are  used  to  make  the  assertion. 


THE   VERB-PHRASE  143 

What  do  jou  call  words  that  assert  ?  To  show  that 
more  than  one  w^ord  is  required  to  assert  the  action, 
the  expression  verh-phrase  is  used ;  is  coming  is  a  verb- 
phrase.  What  words  assert  something  about  hlosso7ns 
in  the  second  sentence  ?  What  verb-phrase  is  used  ? 
What  three  words  form  a  verb-phrase  in  the  third 
sentence  ? 

Exercises.  —  I.  Copy  the  following  paragraph. 
Place  a  line  under  each  verh-jjhrase. 

Now  come  down  home.  The  haymakers  are  resting  under 
the  hedge.  The  horses  are  dawdling  home  to  the  farm.  The 
sun  is  getting  low,  and  the  shadows  long.  Come  home,  and 
go  to  bed  while  the  house  is  fragrant  with  the  smell  of  hay. 
and  dream  that  you  are  still  playing  among  the  haycocks 
When  you  grow  old,  you  will  have  other  and  sadder  dreams. 

—  Charles  Kingsley. 

II.  Use  these  ver'h-phr^ases  in  sentences  :  — 

Has  gone ;  are  reciting ;  have  been  seen ;  am  thinking ;  will 
be  broken  ;  was  talking  ;  were  hiding ;  have  written. 

III.  Write  sentences  about  cotton.  Use  these  verb- 
phrases  :  — 

Is  raised  (where  ?)  ;  is  planted  (when  ?) ;  is  picked  (how  ?) ; 
is  ginned  (where  ?)  ;  is  packed  (in  what  ?)  ;  is  shipped  (in  what 
way?);  is  sold  (where  ?)  ;  is  manufactured  (into  what?);  is 
worn  (by  whom  ?)  ;  is  changed  (into  what  ?). 

IV.  Combine  the  sentences  into  a  paragraph  or 
make  from  them  an  outline  for  a  composition  of  two 
or  more  paragraphs.     Select  an  appropriate  title. 


144  LESSONS  IN  ENGLISH 


131 


COMPLEMENTS 

Notice  that  the  forms  of  the  verb  to  he  do  not  alone 
make  complete  predicates.  You  must  add  another 
word  to  complete  the  predicate. 

The  word  or  expression  needed  to  complete  the 
meaning  of  certain  verbs  is  called  a  complement. 

Exercise.  —  Find  each  verb  and  its  complement  in 
the  following  sentences.  Tell  whether  the  comple- 
ment is  a  noun  or  some  other  word. 

I  am  cold.  •  John  has  been  a  sailor. 

Robert  is  talL  Those  men  are  guides. 

Jackson  was  a  soldier.  Time  is  precious. 

Time  is  money.  We  have  been  very  busy. 

Was  the  water  warm  ?  I  want  Mr.  Fogg.     Are  you  he  ? 

Which  woman  is  Mrs.  Eeed  ?   That  tall  man  is  he. 

That  is  she.  I'm  glad  it  wasn't  I. 

132 


AN   EXERCISE  IN  STORY-TELLING 

1.  In  the  Engine  House — alarm  sounds  —  men  sliding 
down   pole  —  horses  —  engine  —  fires    started. 

2.  T7<^  Run  to  the  Fire  —  galloping  horses  —  driver  leaning 
forward  —  gong  —  street  cars  —  wagons  —  people. 

3.  The  Fire  —  rubbish  heap  —  false  alarm  —  walking  back. 

Think  clearly  ivJiat  happened  from  the  time  the 
alarm  sounded  until  the  horses  were  back  in  their 
stalls.  Tell  the  story  of  "A  Fire  Alarm''  in  the 
liveliest  language  you  can  command. 


TRANSITIVE   VERBS  145 

If  you  write  the  story,  group  your  sentences  into 
three  paragraphs.  What  will  be  the  topic  of  tlie  first 
paragraph  ?  the  second  ?  the  third  ? 

133 


REVIEW 

1.  What  is  a  noun  ?     Give  three  nouns. 

2.  What  kind  of  noun  is  boy? 

3.  Give  three  examples  of  proper  nouns. 

4.  How  do  proper  nouns  begin  ? 

5.  What  is  your  surname  ? 

6.  What  is  your  given  name  ? 

7.  What  is  a  verb  ?     Give  five  verbs. 

8.  Pick  out  the  verbs  :  — 

The  man  is  here.     He  sees  me. 

9.  Pick  out  the  verb-phrases  :  — 

Robert  is  calling  you. 
He  has  been  here  before. 

134 


TRANSITIVE    VERBS 

Bead  carefully  these  sentences  :  — 

The  enemy  fled.  Charlotte  polished  the  silver. 

I  soon  awoke.  The  boys  shook  the  tree. 

How  the  stars  twinkle  !  Do  not  strike  that  dog. 

In  the  sentence,  "  The  enemy  fled,"  the  verb  fled 
makes  a  complete  statement  or  tells  what  the  enemy 
did,  but  in  the  sentence,  "  Charlotte  polished  the  sil- 
ver," the  verb  j^olished  is  not  complete  without  the 


146  LESSONS  IN  ENGLISH 

noun  silver.  A  word  is  needed  with  the  verb  j^olish 
to  name  the  receiver  of  the  action  expressed  by  the 
verb.  Charlotte  does  the  polishing,  which  is  received 
by  the  silver.  The  receiver  of  the  action  is  usually 
a  noun  or  a  word  used  for  a  noun.  When  this  word 
comes  after  the  verb  or  is  a  part  of  the  predicate  it  is 
called  the  object  of  the  verb.  Thus  the  noun  silver  is 
the  object  of  the  verb  j^olish.  What  is  the  object  of 
shook  f  of  do  strike  ? 

Remember.  —  Verbs  which  require  a  word  or  words  to  name 
the  person  or  thing  that  receives  the  action  are  called  transitive 
verbs.    All  others  are  called  intransitive. 

Exercises.  —  I.  Study  the  sentences  given  helotv. 
What  word  tells  who  or  what  performs  the  action  ? 
What  word  tells  who  or  what  receives  the  action  ? 

1.  John  knocked  the  ball  over  the  fence. 

2.  Sam  mows  the  lawn  once  a  week. 

3.  Who  planted  the  trees  in  the  yard  ? 

4.  How  long  ago  did  you  paint  your  house  ? 

5.  Tom  has  been  whittling  that  stick  for  an  hour. 

II.  Tell  lohether  each  verb  is  transitive  or  intransi- 
tive.    Find  the  object  of  each  traiisitive  verb, 

1.  How  fast  that  tree  grows  ! 

2.  Have  you  fed  the  dog  this  morning  ? 

3.  The  music  will  begin  soon. 

4.  Columbus  landed,  and  knelt  on  the  ground. 

5.  The  flowers  will  bloom  in  May. 

6.  Winifred  drives  the  cows  home. 

7.  You  have  cut  your  finger. 


PICTURE    STUDY 


147 


135 


PICTURE  STUDY 


The  Reading  Lesson  —  School  in  Brittanv 


Imagine  that  you  are  joeeping  into  this  room.  Tell 
about  : — 

1.  The  teacher.      2.  The  class  reciting.       3.  The  schoolroom. 

Find  use  for  these  words :  — 

Gentle,  kind ;  interested,  anxious  ;  quiet,  shy ;  orderly. 

In  what  country  do  these  children  live  ?  Think  of 
names  for  them,  such  as  are  used  in  that  country. 
How  old  do  they  seem  ?  Do  they  seem  to  be  polite 
or  rude  children? 


148  LESSONS  IN  ENGLISH 

136 

PRESENT   AND   PAST   FORMS   OF   VERBS 


Who  teaches  your  grade  this  year  ? 
Who  taught  the  grade  last  year  ? 


Name  the  verb  in  each  sentence.  Which  form 
of  the  verb  refers  to  present  time  ?  to  past  time  ? 

We  call  teach  or  teaches  a  present  form,  and  taught 
the  past  form,  of  the  verb  teach. 

Exercises. — I.  Change  the  present  forms  of  the 
verbs  in  these  sentences  to  past  forms :  — 

1.  The  wind  blows  from  the  east. 

2.  John  runs  and  catches  the  ball. 

3.  The  men  get  their  pay  when  Saturday  comes. 

4.  I  hnow,  the  man  when  I  see  him. 

5.  I  give  him  a  nickel  whenever  I  meet  him. 

6.  Ike  throws  sticks  and  Fido  goes  after  them. 

7.  We  all  know  where  you  stand. 

8.  They  draw  pictures  better  than  they  write  letters. 

9.  When  it  grows  dark,  we  go  home. 
10.  Fred  does  what  he  thinks  right. 

II.    Use  the  past  form  of  each  of  these  verhs   in  a 
different  sentence.     Supply  an  object  if  necessary  to 
make  a  good   sentence;  as,  ^' Frank  s/ioit^etZ  me  his» 
new  skates." 


show 

shake 

steal 

begin 

swim 

drive 

take 

speak 

ring 

sink 

eat 

break 

write 

sing 

spring 

FORMS   TO  BE  USED  AFTER  HAVE  AND  HAS      149 


137 


FORMS  TO  BE  USED  AFTER  HAVE   AND  HAS 

Write  sentences,  using  the  following  forms  after 
have,  has,  had,  or  after  some  form  of  to  he,  page  142. 

Example  :  "  Frank  has  shown  me  his  new  skates." 

shown  shaken         stolen  begun  swum 

driven  taken  spoken         rung  sunk 

eaten  broken         written         sung  sprung 

In  most  verbs  the  past  form  and  the  form  used  after 
have,  has,  etc.,  both  end  in  ed ;  as,  I  ivalked ;  I  have 
walked.  Such  verbs  are  called  regular  verbs.  We 
are  not  likely  to  make  mistakes  in  using  regular 
verbs. 

In  some  verbs  these  two  forms  are  different,  or 
neither  form  ends  in  ed  ;  as.  He  wrote  ;  he  has  ivrit- 
ten.  Such  verbs  are  called  irregular.  Many  mistakes 
are  made  in  using  irregular  verbs. 

Exercises.  —  Repeat  rapidly  the  present  form,  the 
past  form,  and  the  form  with  have,  has,  etc.     Thus :  — 

I  show.  I  showed.  I  have  shown. 

Dick  drives.  Dick  drove.  Dick  has  driven. 

Practice  on  the  verhs  mentioned  in  Exercise  II  of  the 
last  lesson  and  also  on  these  : — 


come 

do 

begin 

throw 

burs 

go 

ride 

blow 

draw 

run 

give 

breeze 

grow 

catch 

rise 

150  LESSONS  IN  ENGLISH 


138 


SOME   COMMON   VERBS 

Teach  —  Learn 
Repeat: — 

1.  The  teacher  teaches  to-daj. 

2.  She  taught  yesterday. 

3.  She  has  taught  the  boys  to  read. 

4.  The  pupils  learn. 

5.  They  learned  to  read. 

6.  They  have  learned  many  poems. 

7.  Who  teaches  ?     Who  learns  ? 

Make  the  sentences  mean  inoi^e.  Aiisiver  the  ques- 
tions. Use  the  ivords tQdiCh,  taught;  learn,  learned,  in 
sentences  of  your  oimi. 

Like  —  Love 

You  heave  learned  that  language  enables  you  to 
express  in  words  not  only  what  you  think  but  what 
you  feel.  Like  and  love  express  feelings;  do  you 
know  how  to  use  them  properly?  Like  means  to  he 
pleased  ivith,  to  ejijoy;  love  means  to  have  great  affection 
for. 

In  the  following  seiitences  fill  the  blanks  ivith  the 
proper  word,  like  or  love  :  — 

1.  The  boy his  mother  dearly. 

2.  There  is  no  fruit  I better  than  apples. 

3.  Do  you to  read  good  books  ? 

4.  Thou  shalt thy  neighbor  as  thyself.        ^ 

5.  The  teacher to  teach. 

6.  Do  the  boys to  learn  ? 


AN   EXERCISE  IN   STORY-TELLING 


151 


May — Can 

The  verbs  may  and  can  are  often  wrongly  used. 
Learn  ivhat  they  really  mean,  to  help  you  in  using 
them  correctly. 


AVill  you  give  me  permission  to  go  ? 
Will  you  permit  or  allow  me  to  go? 
May  I  go? 

Are  you  able  to  push  the  cart? 
Have  you  the  power  or  strength  to 

push  the  cart  ? 
Can  you  push  the  cart? 


mean  the  same  thing. 


mean  the  same  thing. 


Use  the  proper  ivorrl  may  or  can  in  the  folloiving 
sentences :  — 


1. 


I  take  your  pencil,  Miss  Jones  ?     2.    Angelina 


speak  Italian.     - 
library,  Mother?     4. 


you 


3.    I  go  with  Harry  to  the 

Julia  go  too?     5.    What you 


do  to  keep  good  order  on  the  playground  ? 


139 


AN  EXERCISE   IN   STORY-TELLING 

An   Interrupted  Journey 

Honk!  honk!  honk!  signaled  a  great  red  automobile  as  it 
dashed  along  a  country  road,  leaving  a  cloud  of  dust  and  a 
smell  of  gasoline  behind  it.  Everybody  and  every  living  thing 
heard  that  signal  and  hurried  out  of  the  way  except  an  old  — 

Who  or  what  did  not  hear  the  signal?  Was  the 
journey  interrupted?     Tell  the  story. 


152  LESSONS  IN  ENGLISH 


140 


TWO   TROUBLESOME  VERBS 
I.   Lie,  Lay,  Lain 

Study  the  following :  — 

1.  The  book  lies  on  the  table  now. 

2.  The  book  lay  on  the  table  yesterday. 

3.  The  book  has  lain  on  the  table  for  a  month. 

4.  Lie  means  to  rest  or  recline. 

Repeat  these  sentences  aloud.  Make  other  sentences 
like  them  about  objects  you  can  handle.  If  possible, 
make  each  sentence  "true."     Thus  :  — 

Have  a  pen  and  a  pencil  together  on  your  desk.  Pointing 
to  the  pen,  say,  "  The  pen  lies  on  the  desk."  Have  some  one 
take  the  pen  away ;  then  say,  "  The  pen  lay  here  on  the  desk 
beside  the  pencil."  While  the  pencil  is  still  on  the  desk,  say, 
"  The  pencil  has  lain  on  the  desk  longer  than  the  pen."  Notice 
that  lie  is  an  intransitive  verb. 

Exercise.  —  Fill  the  blanks  ivith  lie,  lay,  or  lain  :  — 

1.  The  stalk  now flat  on  the  ground. 

2.  I  am  sure  it there  when  I  came  through  the  garden 

last  night. 

3.  Could  it  have there  all  day  yesterday  ? 

4.  I  am  tired  of  seeing  that  paper  on  the  floor.  It  has 
there  all  the  morning. 

5.  The  poor  boy  was  all  tired  out.     He down  before 

it  grew  dark,  and  fell  fast  asleep. 

6.  It  is  dangerous  to on  the  damp  ground. 


TWO   TROUBLESOME   VERBS  153 

II.   Lay,  Laid,  Laid 

Study  these  sentences  :  — 

1.  Lay  the  book  on  the  desk.     (What  are  you  to  do  ?) 

2.  I  laid  the  book  on  the  desk.     (What  did  you  do  ?) 

3.  I  have  laid  the  book  on  the  desk.  (What  have  you 
done  ?) 

Latj  here  means  to  place. 

When  lay  means  to  place,  it  is  a  transitive  verb. 

Never  say  laid  when  you  mean  rest  or  recline. 

Written  Exercise.  —  Copy  the  folloioing  sentences, 
filling  the  blanks  ivith  the  proper  ivord,  lie,  lay,  laid, 
lain. 

1.  Hush,  my  babe, still  and  slumber. 

2.  Matthew,  Mark,  Luke,  and  John 
Guard  the  bed  that  I on. 

3.  She the  child  in  a  manger. 

4.  Where the  land  to  which  the  ship  would  go  ? 

5.  Room  for  a  soldier ! him  in  the  clover. 

He  loved  the  fields,  and  they  shall  be  his  cover. 

6.  He like  a  warrior  taking  his  rest. 

7.  Slowly  and  sadly  we him  down. 

8.  Where  have  you him  ? 

9.  How  long  has  he there  ? 

10.  Late the  wintry  sun  abed. 

11.  Who these  foundations  ? 

12.  How  long  has  the  dog there  ? 

13.  I  did  not awake  very  long. 

14.  The  rain  has the  dust. 

15.  He dreaming  under  the' oak  tree. 


154  LESSONS  IN  ENGLISH 


141 


WORD  STUDY  — CAREFUL   THINKING 

Sit,   Set 

Many  mistakes  are  made  in  using  the   verbs  sit 
and  set. 

Jennie  sitsherQ  now. 

She  sat  there  last  week. 

She  had  sat  there  a  long  time. 

Set  is  a  transitive  verb  and  means  to  place. 

Set  the  lamp  on  the  table. 

We  set  it  on  the  mantel  yesterda3^ 

Have  you  set  the  chairs  around  the  table  ? 

Exercise.  —  Use  the  words  sit,  sat,  or  set  in  the 
following  sentences  :  — 

1.  Have  you the  books  in  order  ? 

2.  The  old  woman  likes  to in  the  shade.  ' 

3.  They together  last  evening. 

4.  How  long  has  the  stranger there  ? 

5.  Where  do  you ? 


142 


THE  ANT   AND   THE   GRASSHOPPER 

A  Study  of  Punctuation 
Bead: — 

In  a  field  one  summer's  day,  a  Grasshopper  was  gayly  chirp- 
ing and  singing.  An  Ant  passed  by  on  his  way  home,  carry- 
ing with  great  toil  a  grain  of  corn. 


ADDING   TO   THE  STORY  155 

"  Good  day,  Friend  Ant,"  cried  the  Grasshopper,  "come  sing 
and  dance  with  me  instead  of  working  there  like  a  slave." 

"  No,  indeed,"  said  the  Ant,  "  I  must  lay  up  food  for  the 
winter  when  the  fields  will  be  covered  with  snow.  I  think 
you'd  better  do  the  same  thing." 

"  Nonsense,"  said  the  Grasshopper ;  "  what's  the  use  of 
bothering  about  winter  ?  I've  plenty  of  food  now,  and  that's 
all  I  care  about."  Away  skipped  the  Grasshopper,  but  the  Ant 
kept  patiently  at  work. 

When  winter  came  the  Ant  had  plenty  to  eat.  The  foolish 
Grasshopper,  alas !  found  too  late  that  chirping  and  singing 
do  not  fill  the  nest  with  food. 

Study  this  fable  to  learn  the  following  points  :  — 

What  conversation  occurs  in  it  ?  Who  converse  ? 
What  is  said  by  each  one  ?  How  many  paragraphs 
in  the  whole  story  ?  in  the  conversation  ? 

Notice  that  a  new  paragraph  begins  whenever  a 
different  person  begins  to  speak. 

Notice  that  quotation  marks  inclose  the  exact  words 
of  each  speaker. 

Find  a  divided  quotation.     How  is  it  punctuated  ? 

Explain  the  contractions  used  in  the  fable. 


143 


ADDING  TO   THE   STORY 


I 


I.  Picture  to  yourself  the  Grasshopper  in  summer. 
What  was  she  doing  ?  How  did  she  feel  ?  To  whom 
did  she  talk  ?     What  did  she  say  ? 

Picture  to  yourself  the  Gh^asshopper  in  winter.     How 


156  LESSONS  IN  ENGLISH 

did  she  feel  ?     What  did  she  do  ?     To  whom  could 
she  go  for  help  ?     What  could  she  say  ? 

II.  Tell  the  fable,  "The  Ant  and  the  Grasshopper.'^ 

III.  Write  out  an  imaginary  conversation  between 
the  two  at  their  winter  meeting. 

144 


STUDY   OF   TROUBLESOME   FORMS 

Repeat  these  forms  rapidly  again  and  again  :  — 

She  sings  now.        She  sang  then.  She  has  sung  all  summer. 

He  lays  up  food.     He  laid  up  food.      He  has  laid  up  much. 
He  does  hard  work.  She  did  no  work.      She  has  done  nothing. 
Fred  goes  to  school.  He  went  yesterday.  He  has  just  gone. 
I  see  the  bird.         I  saw  the  bird.         I  have  seen  it. 
He  gives  money.     He  gave  money.       He  has  given  much. 
He  shakes  the  tree.  He  shook  the  tree.  He  has  shaken  the  tree. 
Who  speaks  ?  I  spoke.  I  have  spoken  twice. 

The  wind  blows.     It  blew  hard.  It  has  blown  all  day. 

I  catch  the  ball.      I  caught  it.  I  have  caught  it. 

She  teaches  me.      She  taught  me.         She  has  taught  me. 

Repeat   these   sentences   aloud.      Write   others   like 

them. 

145 

AVOIDING   MISTAKES 

Shall  or  Will  with  /  or  We 

Study  these  sentences  :  — 

We  shall  suffocate  in  this  little  room. 
I  will  help  you  to-morrow. 
Shall  I  read  to  you  now  ? 


AVOIDING  MISTAKES  157 

The  words  shall  suffocate  tell  what  is  likely  to 
happen.  We  do  not  wish  to  suffocate ;  but  the  sen- 
tence says  that  we  are  going  to  suffocate,  if  we  stay 
in  this  room. 

The  words  loill  help  express  a  willingness  to  help ; 
in  fact,  the  person  who  is  speaking  promises  to  help. 
In  the  third  sentence — a  question  —  the  willingness 
of  the  speaker  is  not  thought  of;  the  speaker  asks 
the  other  person  whether  he  wishes  him  to  read. 

Remember. — "With  /  or  we  in  statements  use  sha//  to  tell 
what  is  likely  to  happen,  and  iy/7/  to  express  willingness  or 
determination. 

With  /  or  we  in  questions  do  not  use  wi//  at  all. 

Exercise.  —  Fill  the  blanks  with  shall  or  will  and 
give  reasons  for  your  choice. 

1.  I  am  afraid  I take  cold. 

2.  I pay  you  next  week. 

3.  Which  hat I  wear  ? 

4.  I show  you  how  to  make  a  kite. 

5.  How we  begin  ? 

6.  What w^e  do  next  ? 

7.  1 be  twelve  years  old  to-morrow. 

8.  I carry  your  satchel  if  you  wish. 

9.  Who I  say  called  ? 

10.  When we  meet  again  ? 

11.  Do  you  think  we have  good  weather  ? 

12.    I  take  your  hat  ? 

13.  I do  as  I  think  best. 

14.  I ^  return  your  book  soon. 


158  LESSONS  IN  ENGLISH 

15.  At  this  rate  we never  finish  the  work. 

16.  We be  glad  to  hear  from  you. 

17.  I  don't  suppose  we see  you  again  this  year. 


146 


RAIN 
An  Exercise  in  Explanation 

Under  the  influence  of  heat,  water  evaporates  ;  that  is  to  say, 
it  passes  into  the  air  in  the  form  of  vapor.  This  vapor  is  in- 
visible. If  you  leave  water  in  an  open  dish,  within  a  few  days, 
especially  if  the  air  is  warm,  the  water  will  be  gone.  You  could 
not  see  the  water  passing  off,  and  yet  it  has  evaporated.  When 
water  is  boiling  in  a  tea  kettle,  you  can  see  no  steam  close  to 
the  spout,  but  just  as  soon  as  this  steam  comes  into  contact 
with  the  colder  air  outside  it  becomes  visible. 

In  the  same  way  the  heat  of  the  sun  causes  constant  evapo- 
ration from  the  surface  of  all  water,  and  even  from  the  surface 
of  all  land  that  contains  moisture.  This  moisture  is  lighter 
than  the  air,  and  therefore  is  constantly  rising.  In  this  way 
water  is  all  the  time  being  drawn  up  into  the  air  in  the  form  of 
vapor,  and  when  this  vapor  gets  into  the  colder  regions  high 
above  the  land,  it  condenses  into  visible  masses  which  we  call 
clouds. 

Now  what  causes  rain  ?  If  you  hold  a  cold  plate  in  front  of 
the  steam  coming  out  of  a  kettle,  the  steam  will  condense  in 
little  particles  of  water,  and  these  particles  will  unite  into  drops 
which  will  run  down  the  plate.  In  the  same  way  when  a  cold 
wind  strikes  the  fine  particles  of  water  in  a  cloud,  these  parti- 
cles unite  and  form  drops  which,  being  heavier  than  the  air, 
fall  to  the  ground  as  rain. 


BEFORE  THE  BAIN  159 

1.  What  is  explained  in  the  first  paragraph? 
What  in  the  second  ?     What  in  the  third  ? 

2.  Learn  the  meaning  of  evaporate,  invisible,  con- 
tact, visible,  moisture,  condense,  masses,  particles, 

3.  Perform  and  report  the  experiments  suggested. 

4.  Learn  other  facts  about  rain,  and  talk  them 
over  in  class.  Without  the  help  of  your  book,  write 
three  or  four  paragraphs  on  the  subject. 

5.  Look  up  and  tell  a  story  about  James  Watt. 

147 


BEFORE   THE   RAIN 

A  Study  of  Poetic  Pictures 

We  knew  it  would  rain,  for  all  the  morn, 

A  spirit  on  slender  ropes  of  mist 
Was  lowering  its  golden  buckets  down 

Into  the  vapory  amethyst 

Of  marshes  and  swamps  and  dismal  fens, 
Scooping  the  dew  that  lay  in  the  flowers, 

Dipping  the  jewels  out  of  the  sea. 

To  sprinkle  them  over  the  land  in  showers. 

We  knew  it  would  rain,  for  the  poplars  showed 

The  white  of  their  leaves,  the  amber  grain 
Shrank  in  the  wind  —  and  the  lightning  now 
Is  tangled  in  tremulous  skeins  of  rain. 

—  Thomas  Bailey  Aldrich. 

Conversation.  —  Have  you  ever  seen  "  the  sun  draw- 
ing water/'  as  children  sometimes  call  it  ?     Tell  how 


160  LESSONS  IN  ENGLISH 

the  Sim  and  sky  looked  at  such  a  time.  What  lines 
in  the  poem  seem  to  describe  this  appearance  ?  Are 
there  really  any  slender  ropes  and  golden  buckets  dip- 
ping up  the  water  ?  To  what  fact  does  this  word 
picture  refer  ?     How  are  clouds  formed  ? 

What  is  the  color  of  amethyst  ?  What  does  the 
word  stand  for  here  ? 

What  five  sources  of  the  vapor  that  formed  the 
clouds  are  mentioned  in  the  second  stanza  ? 

How  many  signs  of  the  coming  rain  are  mentioned 
in  the  poem  ?  Name  them.  What  is  the  meaning  of 
the  word  tremulous  f  What  is  the  usual  meaning  of 
skein  f     What  does  the  word  mean  here  ? 

Commit  the  poem  to  memory. 


148 


PROSE   AND   POETRY 

In  the  lesson  on  page  158  we  had  a  simple  explana- 
tion of  how  rain  is  produced.  It  contains  a  series 
of  plain  statements  about  the  evaporation  of  water, 
the  formation  of  clouds,  and  the  cause  of  rain.  Each 
sentence  states  a  fact.  It  is  evident  that  the  person 
who  wrote  the  explanation  w^as  not  trying  to  write 
something  beautiful  but  rather  to  make  the  explana- 
tion plain,  simple,  and  easily  understood. 

The  poem  in  the  last  lesson  shows  you  another  view 
of  the  same  subject.  It  gives  you  the  poet's  view.  It 
shows  how  a  plain,  common  occurrence  like  a  thun- 


THE  CLOUD  161 

derstorm  calls  up  in  the  poet's  imagination  a  series  of 
beautiful  pictures. 

Be  sure  you  see  the  word  pictiu-es  —  the  sun  letting 
down  the  golden  buckets  and  scooping  up  the  dew 
and  the  jewels  (drops)  of  water,  the  poplars  showing 
the  white  of  their  leaves,  the  grain  bending  before  the 
wind,  and  finally  the  lightning  mingled  with  the  pour- 
ing, whirling  rain. 

Which  is  more  beautiful,  the  plain  scientific  ex- 
planation in  Lesson  146  or  the  pictures  formed  by 
the  poet's  imagination  on  this  page  ?  Why  do  you 
think  so  ? 

149 

THE   CLOUD 

As  you  read  these  verses,  try  to  think  of  the  cloud 

as  a  person  ivho  is  talking  to  you  and  telling  you  ivhat 

she  does :  — 

I  bring  fresh  showers  for  the  thirsting  flowers 

From  the  seas  and  the  streams ; 

I  bear  light  shade  for  the  leaves  when  laid 

In  their  noonday  dreams. 

From  my  wings  are  shaken  the  dews  that  waken 

The  sweet  buds  every  one, 

When  rocked  to  rest  on  their  mother's  breast, 

As  she  dances  about  the  sun. 

I  wield  the  flail  of  the  lashing  hail. 

And  whiten  the  green  plains  under ; 

And  then  again  I  dissolve  it  in  rain, 

And  laugh  as  I  pass  in  thunder. 

— Shelley. 


162  LESSONS  IN  ENGLISH 

What  is  meant  by  "  thirsting  flowers  "  ?  Where 
do  the  showers  come  from  ?  What  is  meant  by 
^^ noonday  dreams"?  When  the  sun  is  very  hot 
and  the  ground  very  dry,  do  the  leaves  droop  as  if 
asleep  ?  Does  a  cloud  have  wings  ?  In  what  respect 
is  a  cloud  like  a  bird  ?  When  does  the  dew  fall  ? 
What  is  thought  of  as  the  mother  of  bnds  and  flowers  ? 
What  is  a  flail  ?  Why  is  hail  spoken  of  as  a  flail  ? 
Why  is  hail  called  "  lashing  "  ?  How  does  it  feel  to 
have  snow  driven  into  your  face  by  a  strong  wind  ? 

Go  over  the  lines  again.  Name  all  the  things  which 
the  cloud  does.  ■  Memorize  the  lines. 

150 


EXERCISES   IN   DESCRIPTION 

Conversation.  —  Is  there  near  your  home  a  lake  or 
a  pond  ;  a  creek,  a  brook,  or  a  river  ?     If  so,  tell :  — 

1.  Which  form  named  above  have  you  in  mind  ?     What  is 
its  proper  name  ?     How  did  it  get  this  name  ? 

2.  Where  is  the  water  ?      How  do  you  get  to  it  ?     What 
are  its  surroundings  ? 

3.  How  does  the  water  look  ?     What  use  is  made  of  it  ? 

4.  Why  do  people  visit  it  in  summer  ?  in  winter  ? 

Written  Exercise.  —  Write  one  or  more  paragraphs 
describing  a  body  of  water. 

Word  study 
Can  you  use  any  of  these  words  in  your  description  ? 
Is,  lies,  flows,  runs,  murmurs,  chatters,  nestles,  still,  running. 


AN  EXERCISE  IN  DICTATION  163 


161 


PERSONIFICATION 

When  an  animal  or  thing  is  represented  as  think- 
ing, talking,  or  acting  like  a  person,  the  animal  or 
thing  is  said  to  be  personified.  In  the  poem  referred 
to  on  page  161  the  cloud  is  personified,  or  represented 
as  talking  like  a  person  and  telling  what  she  does. 

What  is  personified  in  the  fable  on  page  154  ? 
How  are  these  words  written  ? 

When  an  animal  or  thing  is  personified,  the  name 
should  be  written  with  a  capital  letter. 

Where  do  rhymes  usually  come  in  lines  of  poetry  ? 
Where  do  some  of  them  come  in  this  poem  ?  Find 
both  kinds. 

152 

AX   EXERCISE   IN   DICTATION 

"Good  morning,  Apothecary.  Have  you  anything  that's 
good  for  a  sick  headache  ?  " 

"  M}^  lad,  that's  a  bad  complaint  for  a  holiday.  Are  you 
from  the  mansion  on  the  hill  ?  " 

"  Yes,  sir,  I'm  one  of  the  farm  servants  there." 

"  Does  the  headache  come  often  ?  " 

"  No,  but  it  is  very  bad  when  it  comes." 

"  We'll  soon  remedy  that,  my  lad.  Come  here.  Shut  your 
eyes  and  smell  this." 

The  lad  did  exactly  as  he  was  told  and  —  fell  from  the 
chair,  overcome  by  the  strong  stuff  in  the  apothecary's  bottle. 
As  he  raised  himself  slowly,  the  apothecary  asked,  "  Now,  my 
lad,  is  your  headache  gone  ?  " 


164  LESSONS  IN  ENGLISH 

"Oh,  sir,  it's  not  my  head  I  was  talking  about.     It's  my 
mistress  who  has  the  headache !  "  —  Fritz  Reuter.  (Adapted.) 

Explain  the  following  as  used  in  the  story :  quota- 
tion marks,  contractions,  commas. 

What  title  do  you  suggest  for  the  story  ? 


153 


SINGULAR  AND   PLURAL  NOUNS 

Pick  out  the  nouns  in  the  following  sentences  :  — 
The  pod  was  green.  The  pods  were  green. 

Notice  that  the  same  noun  is  used  in  both  sentences. 
What  is  it  ?  How  many  things  does  the  noun  name 
in  the  first  sentence  ?  Does  the  noun  in  the  second 
sentence  name  one  or  more  than  one  thing  ? 

A  noun  that  names  one  person  or  thing  is  called  a  singular 
noun ;  pod  is  a  singular  noun. 

A  noun  that  names  more  than  one  person  or  thing  is  called 
a  plural  noun ;  pods  is  a  plural  noun. 

Read  aloud' the  follounng  ivoi^ds.  In  which  column 
do  you  find  singular  nouns  ?  In  which  column  do 
you  find  plural  nouns? 

1.  One  book.  Two  books. 

2.  One  fox.  Three  foxes. 

3.  One  brush.  Four  brushes. 

4.  One  fence.  Five  fences. 

5.  One  catch.  Six  catches.  . 

6.  One  day.  Seven  days. 


PLURAL  NOUNS  165 

Spell  aloud  the  first  singular  noun  given  above, 
Sj)ell  aloud  the  first  plural  noun.  What  difference 
is  there  in  the  spelUng  of  these  two  words  ?  Spell 
tlie  other  nouns.     Learn  this  rule  :  — 

Most  plural  nouns  are  formed  from  singular  nouns  by  add- 
ing 5  or  es. 

Written  Exercises.  —  I.  Cojjy  the  plural  nouns  given 
above. 

II.   Change  these  singular  nouns  to  plural  nouns  :  — 

paper,  pen,  pencil,  bay,  key,  toy,  guy,  gulf ; 
ax,  latch,  glass,  fish,  sense,  noise,  inch,  starch ; 
picture,  mesh,  coat,  potato,  match. 

Write  both  forms  of  these  words.  Read  them  aloud 
in  class.  Use  them  in  oral  sentences.  Make  lists  of 
your  own,  giving  singular  and  plural  nouns. 

164 


PLURAL  NOUNS 

A.  When/  is  changed  to  /  and  es  is  added. 

New  York  is  a  large  city. 

New  York  and  Chicago  are  large  cities. 

Notice  the  words  city,  cities.  Which  is  a  singular 
noun  ?  Which  is  a  plural  noun  ?  The  singular 
noun  city  ends  in  the  letter  y,  preceded,  by  the  letter 
t,  which  is  a  consonant.  In  the  plural  noun  cities  / 
has  been  changed  to  /  and  es  has  been  added. 

Exercises.  —  I.  Study  these  words  which  follow  the 
above  rule.     Learn  to  spell  them. 


166  LESSONS    IN  ENGLISH 


Singular 

Plural 

Singular 

Plural 

fly 

flies 

cry 

cries 

baby 

babies 

lady 

ladies 

kitty 

kitties 

pussy 

pussies 

daisy 

daisies 

lily 

lilies 

II.  Use  the  above  words  in  oral  sentences, 

III.  State  how  plural  nouns  are  formed  from  singu- 
lar nouns  which  end  in  y  preceded  hy  a  consonant, 

B.  Some  Nouns  that  end  in  o 

Leonidas  was  a  hero. 
His  Spartans  were  heroes. 

Notice  the  ivords  hero,  heroes.  The  singular  noun 
hero  ends  in  o,  preceded  by  a  consonant.  Such  nouns 
usually  form  the  plural  by  adding  es  to  the  singular. 

Exercise.  — Study  the  following  words  :  — 

echo  potato  tomato  volcano  tornado 

echoes         potatoes         tomatoes         volcanoes         tornadoes 

C.  Nouns  that  change  /  to  / 

The  leaves  were  yellow. 
The  leaf  was  yellow. 

What  noun  is  the  subject  of  the  first  sentence  ? 
of  the  second  sentence  ?  What  is  the  difference  in 
the  meaning  of  these  two  words  ? 

Notice  that  the  singular  noun  ends  in  f.  In  the 
plural  form  the  letter  f  has  been  changed  to  v  and  es 
has  been  added. 


PLURAL  NOUNS  167 

Exercise.  —  Study  the  following  ivords.  Learn  to 
spell  them.  Use  them  as  subjects  of  sentences.  Which 
nouns  are  singular  ?     Which  are  plural  f 


knife 

knives 

half 

halves 

self 

selves 

life 

lives 

calf 

calves 

shelf 

shelves 

wife 

wives 

wolf 

wolves 

loaf 

loaves 

D.   Nouns  that  do  not  add  s 

Twelve  inches  make  one  foot. 
Three  feet  make  one  yard. 

What  noun  is  used  in  the  singular  form  in  the  first 
sentence  and  in  the  plural  form  in  the  second? 

Exercise.  —  I.  Study  the  folloioing  nouns.     Learn  to 
repeat  and  to  spell  them.     Use  them  in  sentences. 


man 

men 

goose 

geese 

ox 

oxen 

woman 

women 

foot 

feet 

mouse 

mice 

child 

children 

tooth 

teeth 

one  sheep 

ten  sheep 

A  few  nouns  have  the  same  form  for  the  singular 
and  the  plural ;  as,  one  deer^  four  deer. 

Letters,  figures,  and  signs  are  made  plural  by  add- 
ing an  apostrophe  and  s ;  as,  Dot  your  Ts  and  cross 
your  ^'s. 

II.  Write  the  plural  forms  of  the  folloioing  singidar 
nouns  : — 


church 

piano 

tooth 

lady 

story 

fox 

hero 

brush 

half 

stitch 

leaf 

goose 

city 

potato 

army 

chief 

monkey 

voice 

thief 

daisy 

168  LESSONS  IN  ENGLISH 


155 


WHEN  TO  USE  CERTAIN  WORDS 

It  is  easy  to  make  mistakes  in  the  use  of  is,  was,  and 
has,  especially  when  one  of  these  words  comes  before 
its  subject.  This  often  happens  in  questions  and 
after  the  word  there.  In  the  sentence,  "  There  are 
many  hills  in  New  Hampshire,"  the  subject  is  "  many 
hills." 

Do  not  use  is,  was,  or  has  if  the  subject  is  plural. 

Exercises.  —  I.    Fill  the  hlanks  loith  is  or  are. 

1.  There two  squirrels  in  this  cage. 

2.  Where my  new  books  ? 

3.  There something  I  want  to  tell  you. 

4.  What those  men  looking  at  ? 

5.  In  front  of  our  house  there four  trees. 

II.  Fill  the  hlanks  with  was  or  were. 

1.  There much  snow  on  the  ground. 

2.   there  ever  two  other  boys  like  George  and  Frank  ? 

3.  Perched  high  on  a  tree six  crows. 

4.  When these  houses  built  ? 

5.  I  thought  there pictures  in  the  book. 

III.  Fill  the  hlanks  ivith  has  or  have. 

1.  What the  girls  been  doing  ? 

2.  There been  four  fires  this  week. 

3.   the  children's  playhouse  been  painted  ? 

4.  Why the  apples  not  been  picked  ? 

5.  W^hat the  mice  done  to  your  book  ? 


AN  EXERCISE  IN  READING  169 


156 


A   PICTURE   STUDY 

Study  the  picture  on  the  next  page. 

What  do  you  learn  from  it  about  the  following  ? 

The  meaning  of  the  word  staUie.     Name  of  the  statue. 
The  bearing  or  attitude  of  King  Arthur. 
The  dress  of  a  soldier  in  that  age.     His  weapons. 
Into  what  great  classes  were  people  then  divided  ? 


157 


AN  EXERCISE   IN  READING 
How  Arthur  became  King 

There  once  lived  in  Britain  a  great  king  named  Uther. 
When  he  died  every  lord  in  the  land  wanted  to  become  king 
in  his  place.  Now  King  Uther  had  a  son  whom  he  had  secretly 
sent  to  a  good  knight  to  be  brought  up.  The  boy's  name 
was  Arthur ;  the  good  knight's  name  was  Sir  Ector.  Arthur, 
knowing  nothing  of  King  Uther,  believed  that  Sir  Ector  was 
his  father  and  loved  him  dearly. 

To  settle  the  bitter  strife  for  King  Uther's  throne  the 
Archbishop  of  Canterbury  at  Christmas  called  the  nobles 
together  in  a  splendid  church.  Suddenly,  there  rose  in  the 
churchyard  a  great  white  stone  bearing  an  anvil ;  in  the  anvil 
was  a  shining  sword;  on  the  sword  in  letters  of  gold  stood 
these  quaint  words :  "  Whoso  pullet h  out  this  sword  of  this 
stone  and  anvil  is  rightwise  king  born  of  all  England." 

Immediately  every  lord  tried  to  pull  out  the  sword.  Not  one 
could  move  it.     A  day  was  set  for  a  second  trial.     Splendid 


Statue  of  King  Arthur  at  Innsbruck. 
170 


AN  EXERCISE  IN  READING  171 

games  and  contests  were  planned,  and  to  these  games  came  Sir 
Ector,  Sir  Kay,  his  real  sou,  and  Arthur. 

Sir  Kay  desired  to  enter  the  contests,  but  alas !  he  had 
forgotten  his  sword.  Arthur  offered  to  ride  back  for  it. 
When  he  reached  the  castle,  where  Sir  Kay  had  left  it,  he 
could  not  get  in;  every  one  had  gone  to  London  for  the 
games.  It  was  then  that  Arthur  remembered  seeing  a 
sword  in  a  churchyard  as  he  was  riding  by.  Off  he  hur- 
ried to  get  it.  Yes,  there  it  was,  a  great  sword  in  an  anvil, 
resting  on  a  huge  white  stone!  Arthur  seized  the  sword, 
drew  it  forth  without  trouble,  and,  at  full  speed,  rode  with  it 
to  Sir  Kay. 

When  Sir  Ector  learned  that  Arthur  had  brought  the  sword, 
he  commanded  him  to  return  to  the  churchyard  and  to  take 
out  the  sword  in  his  presence.  This  was  done.  But  when  the 
Archbishop  of  Canterbury  heard  what  had  happened,  he  ordered 
the  sword  to  be  put  back  again. 

At  Eastertide,  kings  and  princes,  lords  and  nobles,  came 
from  far  and  near.  Each  tried  with  might  and  main  to  release 
the  sword.  It  would  not  stir.  Then  Arthur  came.  At  the 
touch  of  his  hand,  the  sword  seemed  fairly  to  leap  from  the 
anvil.  Still,  the  lords  were  not  satisfied.  They  demanded 
another  trial,  and  after  that,  others.  Each  time,  Arthur  alone 
could  remove  the  sword. 

At  the  last  trial,  the  common  people  also  were  present. 
W^hen  Arthur  drew  forth  the  sword  and  raised  it  aloft,  they 
shouted  and  called  him  king,  and  declared  that  they  would 
fight  any  lord  who  refused  to  obey  him.  So  Arthur  became 
King  of  Britain,  but  in  his  heart  there  was  sadness  as  well 
as  joy ;  joy  because  he  was  the  rightful  king  of  a  fair  country, 
but  sadness  because  he  was  not  the  rightful  son  of  Sir  Ector, 
whom  he  so  dearly  loved. 


172  LESSONS  IN  ENGLISH 


158 


For  the  Study  Period.  —  Bead  the  story  through 
silently.     Find  answers  to  the  following  questions:  — 

I.  Who  was  King  Uther  ?  What  happened  at  his  death  ? 
Who  was  Arthur?  Who  was  Sir  Ector?  Why  did  not 
Arthur  become  king  at  once  ? 

II.  Who  took  steps  to  settle  the  dispute  about  King  Uther's 
throne  ?     How  ?     What  happened  in  the  churchyard? 

III.  How  did  the  first  trial  end  ?  Did  Arthur  take  part  in 
it  ?     Why  did  Arthur  come  to  London  ? 

IV.  Who  was  Sir  Kay?  What  did  he  wish  to  do? 
What  sword  did  Arthur  bring  to  him  ? 

V.  When  Sir  Ector  saw  the  sword,  what  did  he  do  ?  W^hat 
did  the  Archbishop  do  ? 

VI.  Who  were  present  at  the  next  trial  ?  What  happened? 
Why  were  the  nobles  not  satisfied  ? 

VII.  Who  were  present  at  the  last  trial  ?  What  did  they 
do  ?  Who,  then,  really  chose  Arthur  to  be  king  ?  How  did 
Arthur  feel  about  all  this  honor  ?     Why  ? 

For  the  Class  Period.  —  I.  Read  the  story  aloud, 
loithout  interruption.  Are  all  the  incidents  clearly 
pictured  in  your  mind? 

II.  Tell  the  story  from  beginning  to  end.  Add  to 
it  anything  that  yoa  think  will  make  your  hearers 
see  its  action  or  understand  the  characters  more 
clearly. 

III.  Write  a  paragraph,  giving  such  part  of  the 
story  as  your  teacher  directs.  Study  each  paragraph 
to  learn  what  part  of  the  story  is  related  in  it. 


BEVIEW  173 

Home  Reading 

The  story  told  in  this  lesson  is  very  incomplete,  but  it 
serves  to  introduce  to  you  King  Arthur.  Do  you  care  to 
know  more  about  him?  His  deeds  are  quaintly  described 
by  Sir  Thomas  Malory,  but  some  one  will  have  to  explain  the 
language  of  that  old  book  to  you.  A  Southern  poet,  Sidney 
Lanier,  rewrote  the  story  in  a  book  called  "  The  Boy's  King 
Arthur  "  ;  perhaps  you  can  read  that  or  some  other. 

If  you  read  any  of  these  accounts,  learn  the  following  inci- 
dents in  the  life  of  King  Arthur  and  tell  them  at  the  morning 
or  Friday  afternoon  exercises. 

How  King  Arthur  obtained  the  wonderful  sword  Excalibur. 

How  King  Arthur  came  into  possession  of  the  famous  Round 
Table  at  which  sat  one  hundred  and  fifty  knights. 

How  tenderly  King  Arthur  loved  the  fair  Queen  Guinevere, 
and  what  splendid  deeds  he  did  for  her  sweet  sake. 

How  Arthur  returned  the  sword  Excalibur  to  the  waters 
whence  it  came,  and  then  was  himself  borne  away  out  of  the 
sight  of  men  for  evermore. 

159 


REVIEW 

Fro7n  the  story  heginning  on  page   169  pick  out 
examples  which  show  the  following  :  — 

1.  How  titles  of  stories  are  written. 

2.  How  a  paragraph  is  indented. 

3.  How  the  first  word  of  every  sentence  begins. 

4.  How  declarative  sentences  are  punctuated. 

5.  How  exclamatory  sentences  are  punctuated. 

6.  How  names  of  persons  and  places  begin. 

7.  How  titles  of  persons  are  written. 


174 


LESSONS  IN  ENGLISH 


8.  How  names  of  holidays  begin. 

9.  How  most  singular  nouns  become  plural. 
10.    How  quotation  marks  are  used. 

160 


HOW  NOUNS   SHOW  POSSESSION 
1.   This  is  the  girl's  book.  2.  These  are  the  girls'  books. 

Bead  aloud  the  first  sentence.    Whose  book  is  named 
in  it  ?     How  many  books  are  named  ?     How  many 


girls  are  named  ?  The  girVs  hook  means  the  hook 
owned  hy  the  girl.  An  apostrophe  and  5  {'$)  are  added 
to  the  singular  noun  girl  to  show  ownership  or  posses- 
sion ;  thus,  girVs. 

Read  aloud  the  second  sentence.  Whose  books  are 
named  in  it  ?  Is  more  than  one  book  spoken  of  ?  Is 
more  than  one  girl  spoken  of  ?  The  girls^  hooks  means 
the  hooks  oivned  hy  the  girls.     An  apostrophe  (')  alone 


BOW  NOUNS  SHOW  POSSESSION  175 

is  added  to  the  plural  noun  girls  to  show  possession ; 
thus,  girls'.  Notice  that  girls  is  a  plural  noun  which 
ends  in  s. 

Exercises.  —  I.  Study  tJiefolloioing  groiqos  of'words. 
Which  are  singular  nouns  that  show  possession  ?  How 
do  they  show  it  ?  Which  are  plural  nouns  that  show 
possession  ?     How  do  they  show  it  ? 

The  boy's  knife.  The  boys'  knives. 

The  horse's  tail.  The  horses'  tails. 

The  cat's  tongue.  The  cats'  tongues. 

The  lady's  purse.  The  ladies'  purses. 

The  baby's  bib.  The  babies'  bibs. 

The  carpenter's  tools.  The  carpenters'  tools. 

The  king's  palace.  The  kings'  palaces. 

The  teacher's  books.  The  teachers'  books. 

The  wolfs  tracks.  The  wolves'  tracks. 

II.  Use  the  above  groups  of  loords  as  subjects  of  sen- 
tences.    Write  the  sentences  on  the  blackboard. 


161 


Bring  me  the  children's  books. 

The  children  s  books  means  the  books  otvned  by  the 
children.  An  apostrophe  and  s  are  added  to  the  plural 
noun  children  to  show  possession ;  thus,  children's. 
Notice  that  children  is  a  plural  noun  which  does  not 
end  in  s. 


176  LESSONS  IN  ENGLISH 

Exercises.  —  I.    Study  the  folloiving  groups  ofioords. 

Which  are  singular  nouns  that  show  possession  ? 
How  do  they  show  it  ?  Which  are  plural  nouns  that 
show  possession  ?     How  do  they  show  it  ? 

The  child's  toy.  The  children's  toys. 

The  man's  ticket.  The  men's  tickets. 

The  sheep's  fleece.  The  sheep's  fleeces. 

The  woman's  hat.  The  women's  hats. 

The  fisherman's  luck.  The  fishermen's  luck. 

The  fireman's  pay.  The  firemen's  pay. 

II.  Use  the  above  groups  of  words  as  subjects  of  sen- 
teyices.      Write  the  sentences  on  the  blackboard. 

III.  Select  from  this  book  five  singular  nouns  and 
five  plural  nouns  that  show  possession.  Explain  hoiv 
each  shows  possession. 

162 


REVIEW 

1.  What  is  a  singular  noun  ?     Name  one. 

2.  What  is  a  plural  noun?     Name  one. 

3.  How  do  most  singular  nouns  become  plural  ? 

4.  Spell  the  plural  of  cherry,  mosquito,  gulf,  hay,  key,  hoy. 

5.  How  do  singular  nouns  show  possession  ? 

6.  How  do  plural  nouns  ending  in  s  show  possession  ? 

7.  How  do  plural  nouns  not  ending  in  s  show  possession  ? 

8.  Which  forms  of  the  verb  to  he  do  you  use  with  singular 
nouns,  is  or  are,  was  or  loere  9  with  plural  nouns? 

9.  Which  form  do  you  use  with  plural  subjects,  has  or  have  f 
Which  with  singular  subjects? 


PARAGBAPU    WRITING  177 


163 


PARAGRAPH  WRITING 

The  Topic  Sentence 

I.  Choose  one  of  the  folloioing  sentences.  Expand 
it  into  a  'paragraph  by  telling  details  that  interest  you. 

1.  The  morning  glory  is  a  pretty  flower.  Add  at  least  tico 
sentences  J  telling  what  things  make  it  pretty. 

2.  The  walk  to  school  is  (or  is  not)  interesting.  Add  three 
sentences,  mentioning  things  you  see. 

What  is  the  name  or  topic  of  your  paragraph  ? 

The  sentence  that  contains  the  name  or  topic  of  a  paragraph 
is  called  the  topic  sentence. 

II.  Choose  one  of  the  folloioing  topics.  Write  a 
paragraph  about  it. 

1.  Dogs  have  often  saved  lives.     Tell  a  case  you  know. 

2.  iEsop  told  many  fables.     Name  some  you  know. 

3.  Brave  men  are  also  courteous.  Tell  about  General  Lee, 
or  any  other  brave  man  whom  you  admire. 

III.  Choose  one  of  the  folloioing  topics.  In  class 
write  about  the  topic  as  good  a  paragraph  as  you  can  in 
the  time  your  teacher  gives  you. 

1.  Trees  ought  to  have  good  care.  Add  at  least  three  sentences, 
telling  why. 

2.  The  school  grounds  should  be  kept  in  good  order.  Add 
at  least  four  sentences,  telling  why. 

3.  Children  should  sit  erect  while  studying.     Tell  why. 

4.  Skating  is  good  exercise.     It —     Tell  what  it  does. 

N 


178 


LESSONS  IN  ENGLISH 


5.    Helen  Keller  is  one  of  the  most  remarkable  persons  in 
the  world.     When  she  was  a  little  child  she  — 

Fiyiish  the  paragraph  by  telling  why  she  is  remarkable. 


164 


AN  EXERCISE   IN   READING 

Read  the  folloiving  description :  — 

Little  Sunrise 

He  was  just  an  ordinary  sort  of  boy,  but  there  was  not  an- 
other like  him  in  all  Muskoma;  because  Muskoma  was  an 
Indian  village  and  all  the  other  boys  were  redskins.  Their 
skins  were  not  really  red,  you  know,  only  ruddy  brown ;  and 

certainly  the  white  boy's  skin 
was  not  white,  because  the  sun 
and  the  wind  had  tanned  it 
almost  as  ruddy  brown  as  an 
Indian's.  What  made  him  dif- 
ferent from  all  the  rest  of  the 
Muskoma  boys  was  his  hair; 
because  it  was  red  and  curly, 
and  theirs  was  black  and 
straight. 

There  was  another  thing  that 
made  him  different  from  all  the 
Indian  boys.  They  could  sit 
still,  and  he  could  not,  except 
when  Ossawippi,  the  old  chief,  was  telling  him  a  story,  and 
even  then  it  wasn't  what  an  Indian  would  call  sitting  still. 
The  only  time  he  was  really  still  was  when  he  was  fast  asleep 
in  bed.     When  he  was  awake  everybody  else  had  to  wake  up 


SYNONYMS  179 

too.  That  was  why  the  Indians  called  him  Little  Sunrise, 
though  perhaps  the  color  of  his  hair  had  something  to  do  with 
it.  His  real  name  was  Rennie.  At  least,  that  is  what  his 
father  and  mother  called  him.  They  called  him  Reginald 
when  they  wanted  to  be  very  severe.  —  Howard  Angus 
Kennedy  in  "  New  World  Fairy  Book." 

S?tut  your  eyes  and  think  hoio  Little  Sunrise  looked. 
Answer  these  questions :  — 

Whom  does  the  selection  describe  ?  What  kind  of  boy  is 
he  called  ?  With  whom  is  he  compared  ?  How  does  the  first 
paragraph  say  that  he  is  like  the  Indian  boys  ?  How  does  it 
say  that  he  is  different  from  them  ? 

What  difference  is  described  in  the  second  paragraph  ? 
What  do  you  learn  in  this  paragraph  about  the  boy's  names  ? 
Are  you  called  by  different  names  ? 


165 


SYNONYMS 

1.    Study  the  folloiving   verbs,  and  place  the  syno- 
nyms  in  groups :  — 


injure 

answer 

attempt 

try 

endeavor 

harm 

damage 

declare 

reply 

tell 

assert 

respond 

2.  Find  the  synonyms  among  these  verbs  :  — 

ascend  help  climb  aid 

assist  mount  lessen  labor 

work  diminish  decrease  toil 

3.  Use  the  verbs  in  short  oral  sentences. 


180 


LESSONS  IN  ENGLISH 


166 


PRONOUNS 


Study  the  following  sentences  :  — 

1.  Patrick  has  spilled  his  ink. 

2.  Gertrude  has  lost  her  pencil. 

3.  The  poor  bird  has  broken  its  wing. 

Whose  ink  has  been  spilled  ?     If  the  noun  Patricks 
were    used,    the   sentence   would  read,    Patrick  has 

spilled  Patrick's  ink.  How 
do  you  like  the  sound  of 
that?  The  little  word  his 
is  used  instead  of  the  noun 
Patrick's. 

Whose     pencil    has 
lost?      What  word    is 
instead    of    the    noun 
trudes    in    the    second   sen- 
tence ? 

Whose  wing  has  been 
broken?  What  word  is  used 
instead  of  the  noun  hird's  in 
the  third  sentence  ? 

Words   used   to   take   the 
place    of    nouns    are    called 
pronouns  ;  the  words  his^  her,  its,  are  pronouns. 


been 
used 
Ger- 


Remember.  —  A  pronoun  is  a  word  used  instead  of  a  noun. 


PRACTICE  181 


167 


PRACTICE 

Exercises.  —  I.    Use  the  words  she,  her,  instead  of 
Laura  to  Improve  these  sentences :  — 

Laura  has  cut  Laura's  finger.     Laura  says  that  the  cut  does 
not  hurt  Laura  very  much. 

What  do  you  call  words  used  instead   of   nouns  ? 
What  pronouns  have  you  used  in  this  exercise  ? 

II.    Use  pronouns   to  fill   the   blanks.     Instead  of 
what  noun  is  each  pronoun  used  ? 

1.  Ernst  has  lost knife. 

2.   feels  very  sorry  about  losing . 

3.  Perhaps  the  teacher  has in desk. 

4.  All  the  boys  looked  under desks  for . 


5.   was  a  very  fine  knife.     Ernst's   grandfather  gave 

—  to last  Christmas. 


6.    Perhaps father  will  buy another. 

III.  Learn  this  list  of  pronouns  :  — 

1.  I,  my,  me ;  we,  our,  us  ;  ours,  mine. 

2.  You,  your,  yours. 

3.  He,  his,  him  ;  they,  their,  them  ;  theirs. 
•  '         4.  She,  her,  hers ;  it,  its. 

5.   Who,  what,  which,  that. 

IV.  Write  ten  sentences,  using  some  of  the  pronouns 
given  above. 

Word  study 
Pronoun  means  instead  of  a  noun  or  for  a  noun. 
Do  not  use  an  apostrophe  in  writing  the  words  itSj  hers^  theirs. 


182  LESSONS  IN  ENGLISH 

168 

A   QUOTATION   WITHIN   A   QUOTATION 

Two  men  were  journeying  together,  enjoying  each  other's 
company.  One  of  them  picked  up  a  bright  iron  ax  that  lay  in 
the  road,  saying  to  his  companion,  "  I  have  found  an  ax." 
"  Nay,  my  friend,"  replied  the  other,  "  do  not  say  I,  but  we  have 
found  an  ax."  Turning  around,  they  saw  the  owner  of  the  ax 
pursuing  them.  The  finder  of  the  ax  cried  :  "  O  dear  !  we  are 
caught."  "Nay,"  replied  his  mate,  "  keep  your  first  mode  of 
speech,  my  friend.  What  you  thought  right  then,  think  right 
now.     Say,  '  Jam  caught,'  not  '  We  are  caught.'" 

Upon  which  words  does  the  point  of  the  story  de- 
pend ?  Select  the  pronouns.  Tell  ivkat  word  each  pro- 
noun stands  for. 

Observation.  —  Study  the  last  sentence  in  the  story. 
It  shows  how  one  quotation  may  be  included  within 
another.  In  that  case  single  marks  ('  ')  inclose  the 
second  quotation. 

Find  a  quotation  loithin  a  quotation  in  the  story  on 
page  64. 

169 

PERSONAL    PRONOUNS 

Mr.  Ludwig  was  interested  in  getting  a  position 
for  a  boy  named  Henry  Kemp.  Mr.  Ludwig  called 
up  Mr.  Forbes  on  the  telephone  and  told  him  what 
he  knew  about  Henry.     This  is  what  he  said :  — 

"  Hello  !  hello  !  Is  this  Mr.  Forbes  ?  /  hear  that  Henry 
Kemp  has  applied  for  a  position  in  your  store.     Henry  was 


HOW  TO   USE  PERSONAL  PRONOUNS  183 

employed  last  summer  to  work  around  my  house  and  garden, 
and  his  faithful  service  pleased  me  very  much.  I  think  he 
would  please  you.     I  hope  you  will  give  him  a  trial." 

In  this  talk  over  the  telephone,  who  was  the 
person  speaking  ?  Who  w^as  the  person  spoken  to  ? 
Who  was  the  person  spoken  of  ? 

What  pronouns  stand  for  the  person  speaking? 
for  the  person  spoken  to  ?  for  the  person  spoken  of  ? 

A  pronoun  that  shows  by  its  form  whether  it  stands 
for  the  person  speaking,  the  person  spoken  to,  or 
the  person  spoken  of,  is  called  a  personal  pronoun. 

Find  all  the  personal  pronouns  in  the  telephone 
message. 

Pronouns  that  stand  for  the  person  speaking  are  called  pro- 
nouns of  the  Jirst  person  ;  as,  /,  7ny,  me. 

Pronouns  that  stand  for  the  person  spoken  to  are  called  pro- 
nouns of  the  second  person ;  as,  yon,  your. 

Pronouns  that  stand  for  the  person  spoken  of  are  called  pro- 
nouns of  the  third  person;  as,  he,  his,  him,  she,  her,  it,  they,  them. 

Exercise.  —  Find  the  personal  pronouns  in  the  selec- 
tion on  page  182.  Tell  ivhether  each  pronoun  is  of 
the  first,  second,  or  third  person.  Name  the  noun  to 
which  each  pronoun  refers. 

170 


HOW   TO   USE   PERSONAL   PRONOUNS 

Many  people  make  mistakes  in  using  personal 
pronouns.  Most  mistakes  of  this  kind  arise  from 
using  subject  forms  as  objects  and  object  forms  as 


184  LESSONS  IN  ENGLISH 

subjects.  This  exercise  will  help  you  to  overcome 
wrong  habits  in  the  use  of  pronouns. 

Remember  that  the  pronouns  I,  ive,  he,  she,  and  they, 
are  properly  used  as  subjects ;  also  as  complements 
after  forms  of  the  verb  to  ^^(page  142)  or  verb-phrases 
ending  in  he. 

The  pronouns  m.e,  us,  him,  her,  and  them  are  prop- 
erly used  as  objects. 

You  and  it  may  be  used  as  subjects  or  objects. 

Remember  that  two  words  may  be  used  together 
as  the  subject  of  a  sentence ;  as,  "  Jason  and  I  came 
late  "  ;  also  that  two  words  may  be  the  object  of  one 
verb  or  of  one  preposition  ;  as,  ^'  Father  praised  him 
and  me,"   "  1  sat  between  him  and  Tom." 

Use  all  the  above  jjrojioims  in  short  oral  sentences. 

Exercise.  —  In  the  following  exercise  choose  the  proper 
word  in  each  sentence :  — 

1.  He  and  (I,  me)  met  at  the  gymnasium. 

2.  Her  mother  and  (she,  her)  set  out  yesterday. 

3.  Did  the  teacher  refer  to  you  or  (I,  me)  ? 

4.  (We,  us)  boys  are  planning  a  sleigh  ride. 

5.  (She,  her)  and  Jane  refused  to  go. 

6.  Luke  was  standing  between  John  and  (he,  him). 

7.  (They,  them)  are  the  men  we  saw  on  the  bridge. 

8.  (They,  them)  and  (we,  us)  then  hurried  away. 

9.  (He,  him)  and  (I,  me)  were  feeding  the  squirrels. 

10.  Between  you  and  (I,  me)  Dick  is  mistaken. 

11.  All  except  (she,  her)  refused  to  enter  the  room. 

12.  I  am  taller  than  (she,  her). 


THE  ORDER   OF  PRONOUNS  185 

13.  Did  you  refer  to  Sara  or  (I,  me)  ? 

14  They  can  do  nothing  without  Kate  and  (we,  us). 

15.  The  teacher  says  you  and  (I,  me)  may  use  the  piano. 

16.  Who  wants  an  apple  ?     Answer  (I,  me). 

17.  Is  it  (she,  her)  ?    No,  it  is  (he,  him). 

18.  Who  told  you  it  was  (we,  us)  ? 

19.  I  think  it  must  be  (he,  him). 

20.  People  say  it  was  (I,  me). 


171 


THE  ORDER  OF   PRONOUNS 

Copy  this  stanza  from  "  A  Boy's  Song  "  :  — 

Where  the  pools  are  bright  and  deep. 

Where  the  gray  trout  lies  asleep, 

Up  the  river,  and  o'er  the  lea, 

That's 'the  way  for  Billy  and  me. 

—  James  Hogg. 

Would  you  not  like  to  visit  the  pleasant  spot  de- 
scribed in  the  above  lines  ?  Notice  the  last  line.  The 
pronoun  me,  which  stands  for  the  speaker,  follows  the 
noun  Billy.     That  is  the  proper  way  in  English. 

Exercises.  —  I.  Fill  the  blanks  ivith  the  pronoun  me. 
Repeat  the  completed  sentences  aloud. 

1.  He  gave  it  to  Sophie  and . 

2.  Here  is  some  candy  for  you  and . 

3.  The  girls  are  talking  about  Vincent  and . 

4.  Did  you  call  mother  or ? 

Write  five  sentences  like  those  given  in  this  exercise. 
Read  your  sentences  aloud. 


Visiting  Day  at  the  Hospital. 


Geoffrey. 


186 


PICTURE  STUDY  AND   COMPOSITION  187 

II.   Fill  the  blanks  ivith  the  pronoun  I.     Repeat  the 
completed  sentences  aloud. 

1.  The  teacher  and modeled  that  map. 

2.  The  boys  and made  the  box. 

3.  Caroline  or must  stay  at  home. 

4.  Louis  and have  saved  a  dollar. 

Write  five  sentences  like  those  given  in  this  exercise. 


172 


PICTURE  STUDY   AND  COMPOSITION 

Study  the  picture  on  page  186. 

What  do  you  see  in  the  foreground  of  the  picture  ? 
Who  is  the  man  ?  Why  is  he  so  anxious  ?  Which 
httle  patient  is  he  most  interested  in  ?  How  does  this 
patient  look  ? 

What  do  you  see  in  the  background  of  the  picture  ? 

Oral  and  Written  Exercises. — Tell  the  story  that  the 
picture  tells  you.  Before  beginning  the  story,  set 
down  the  points  about  which  you  wish  to  talk  or 
write.  Next  arrange  them  in  some  good  order  and 
stick  to  it.    Find  use  for  some  of  the  following  words : 

anxious,  worried  silent,  quiet  asleep,  awake 

pathetic,  sad  ill,  sick  clean,  cool 

sufferer,  patient  gazing,  looking         happy,  delighted 

Word  Study 

Foreground  means  the  jmrt  that  seems  nearest  to  you. 
Background  means  the  part  that  seems  farthest  away. 


188 


LESSONS  IN  ENGLISH 


173 


MODIFIERS 


Notice  how  the  meaning  of  the  first  sentence  below 
is  changed  by  the  addition  of  new  words  in  the  second 
and  third  sentences. 

1.  The  clock  ticks. 

2.  The  old  clock  ticks  slowly. 

3.  The  old  clock  on  the  stairs  ticks  slowly. 

Which  word  in  the 
second  sentence  describes 
the  clock? 

What  word  shows  how 
the  clock  ticks  ?  What 
group  of  words  in  the 
third  sentence  shows  what 
old  dock  is  referred  to  ? 

The  word  old  makes 
the  meaning  of  clock  more 
definite.  The  word  clock 
alone  applies  to  any  clock, 
but  old  clock  excludes  all 
clocks  that  are  not  old. 
The  word  slowly  makes 
the  meaning  of  ticks  more 

definite  by  showing  in  what  manner  the  clock  ticks. 

The  group  of   words  on  the  stairs  shows  definitely 

what  old  clock  is  meant. 


SIMPLE  SUBJECT  AND   SIMPLE  PREDICATE      189 

Remember.  —  A  word  or  group  of  words  that  makes  the  mean- 
ing of  another  word  more  definite  is  called  a  modifier. 

Exercise.  —  In   the  folio iv lug   sentences  find   words 
and  groups  of  words  that  are  used  as  modifiers:  — 

1.  Pauline  finished  her  new  dress  to-day. 

2.  Tall  trees  once  covered  this  grassy  field. 

3.  The  blacksmith  has  large  and  sinewy  hands. 

4.  A  sleeping  fox  catches  few  chickens. 

5.  Two  stout  horses  drew  this  heavy  load. 

6.  The  judge  rode  slowly  down  the  lane. 

7.  Felix  always  rides  to  school  on  his  wheel. 
8..  We  planted  four  trees  before  dinner. 

9.  The  shop  of  the  blacksmith  stood  under  a  spreading  tree. 

10.  The  timid  deer  immediately  fled  to  the  forest. 

11.  Do  not  eat  your  dinner  in  a  hurry. 

12.  I  see  laughing  Allegra  and  Edith  with  golden  hair. 

13.  The  boys  fished  in  a  deep  pool  for  three  hours. 

14.  The  squirrel  peeped  slyly  from  the  hazel  shade. 


174 


SIMPLE   SUBJECT   AND   SIMPLE   PREDICATE 

In  the  last  lesson  we  began  with  the  sentence, 
Tlie  dock  ticks,  and  added  modifiers  until  we  had 
changed  it  to  TTie  old  clock  on  the  stairs  ticks  slowly. 
In  this  last  sentence  the  group  of  words,  TJie  old 
clock  on  the  stairs,  is  called  the  complete  subject,  and 
the  noun  clock  (the  main  word  of  the  subject)  is 
called  the  simple  subject.  Likewise  ticks  slotoly  is 
called  the  complete  predicate,  and  the  verb  ticks  (the 


190  LESSONS  IN  ENGLISH 

main  word  of  the  predicate)  is  called  the  simple 
predicate. 

The  simple  subject  of  a  sentence  is  usually  a  noun 
or  pronoun. 

The  complete  subject  is  the  simple  subject  with  its 
modifiers. 

The  simple  predicate  is  a  verb  or  verb-phrase. 

The  complete  predicate  is  the  simple  predicate  with 
any  words  that  modify  or  complete  its  meaning. 

Exercise.  —  Fi7id  the  comjMe  and  simple  subjects 
and  predicates  of  the  sentences  on  page  189. 

175 


ADJECTIVES 

Study  these  senteiices  :  — 

1.    Clouds  gather.  2.    Dark  clouds  gather. 

3.    Children  run.  4.    Frightened  children  run. 

In  Sentence  1  the  word  clouds  may  mean  any 
kind  of  cloud.  If  vou  wish  to  tell  what  kind  of 
cloud,  you  must  use  some  word  with  the  noun,  as 
is  done  by  the  word  dark  in  Sentence  2. 

In  Sentence  3  the  noun  children  may  mean  any 
children  ;  the  word  frightened  is  used  in  Sentence  4  to 
tell  what  kind  of  children.  Words  that  are  used  with 
nouns  to  add  to  or  modify  their  meaning  in  this  way 
are  called  adjectives.     Dark,  frightened,  are  adjectives. 

Definition.  —  An  adjective  is  a  word  used  to  modify  the 
meaning  of  a  noun  or  pronoun. 


ADJECTIVES 


191 


A  Distinguished  Member  of  the  Humane  Society, 


Oral  Exercises.  —  T.  See  this  fine  dog.  What  other 
words  than  fi7ie  can  you  use  with  the  noun  dog  to 
add  to  or  modify  its  meaning  ? 

II.    He  is  faithful.     What  other  qualities  has  he  ? 

What  are  words  that  are  used  to  modify  the  mean- 
ing of  nouns  or  pronouns  called  ?  What  adjectives 
have  you  changed  in  this  lesson  ? 

Written  Exercise.  —  Use  in  sentences  these  adjec- 
tives :  — 

High,  low ;  narrow,  wide ;  clean,  dirty ;  gentle,  rude ;  or- 
derly, disorderly ;  kind,  unkind ;  black,  white ;  honest,  dis- 
honest ;  good,  bad ;  old,  new ;  right,  left. 


192  LESSONS   IN  ENGLISH 

Hungry,    thirsty;    hot,  cold;    purple,  golden;    fair,  dark; 
cloudy,  rainy,  stormy. 

Word  Study 
To  modify  means  to  change. 

176 


OTHER   ADJECTIVES 

Bead  these  familiar  statements  :  — 

Four  quarts  make  one  gallon. 

This  small  measure  holds  two  quarts. 

The  word  four  is  used  with  the  noun  quarts  to 
modify  its  meaning  by  telling  hoio  mayiy.  Four  is  an 
adjective.  What  other  words  in  the  sentences  answer 
to  the  question  how  many  ? 

The  word  this  is  used  with  the  noun  measure  to 
modify  its  meaning  by  pointing  out  ivhich  one.  This 
is  an  adjective. 

Exercises.  —  I.  Use  the  following  as  adjectives  in 
seiitences :  — 

Ten,  thirty,  thirty-one,  second,  this,  these,  that,  those, 
many,  few,  no,  all. 

II.  Many  people  use  the  word  them,  when  they 
ought  to  use  these  or  tho.se.  Repeat  these  sentences 
many  times :  — 

Bring  me  those  pens. 

These  are  the  papers. 

Hang  these  hats  in  the  right  place. 

Sing  those  songs  again. 

Those  are  the  most  beautiful  clouds  I  ever  saw. 


THE  HYPHEN  193 

III.  Use  those  or  them  in  the  sentences  helow  and 
give  a  reason  for  your  choice.  Never  use  them  as  an 
adjective. 

1.  Please  put books  on  the  shelves. 

2.  I  thought peaches  were  fine. 

3.  Which  pencils  do  you  prefer,  these  or ? 

4.  Arrange  your  papers  and  put in  your  desk. 

5.  What  did  you  do  with marbles  ? 

6.  I  gave to  my  brother. 

IV.  Use  this  and  these  of  things  near  the  speaker ; 
use  that  and  those  of  things  farther  aioay. 

1.    ring  of  mine  cost  two  dollars. 

2.  What  did coat  of  yours  cost  ? 

3.  How  far  away  are clouds  ? 

4.  I  want  to  finish letter. 

5.   sleeves  of  mine  are  too  long. 

6.  Wash ink  from  your  hands. 

7.  Please  erase pictures  on  the  blackboard. 

8.  I  cannot  write  with pen. 

9.  I  could  not  work examples  we  had  yesterday,  but  I 

find much  easier. 

177 


THE   HYPHEN 

Make  a  mental  picture  of  the  following :  — 

A  cornfield  in  July  is  a  sultry  place.  The  soil  is  hot  and 
dry ;  the  w4nd  comes  axiross  the  lazily  murmuring  leaves  laden 
with  a  warm,  sickening  smell  drawn  from  the  rapidly  growing, 
broad-flowing  banners  of  the  corn.  The  sun,  nearly  verti- 
cal, drops  a  flood  of  dazzling  light  upon  the  field  over  which 


194 


LESSONS  IN  ENGLISH 


the  cool  shadows  run,  only  to  make  the  heat  seem  more  in- 
tense. —  Hamlin  Garland. 


I.    Notice  that  the  words  cornfield  and  hroad-flow- 
ing  are  each  formed  by  joining  two  words  together. 
Words   formed   in  this  way  are 
called  compound  words. 

Notice  also  that  the  hyphen  (-) 
is  used  to  join  the  two  parts  of 
the  word  hroad-flowing ,  but  is 
omitted  in  the  word  cornfield. 

As  a  rule,  familiar  compound 
words,  like  cornfield,  are  written 
without  the  hyphen,  while  un- 
usual compounds,  like  hroad- 
fioiving,  are  written  with  the 
hyphen. 

Numbers  composed  of  two 
parts,  like  twenty-one,  forty- 
second,  are  usually  written  with 
the  hyphen. 

II.  Find  on  this  or  some  other 
page  a  word  that  is  divided  at 
the  end  of  the  line.  Why  is  it 
divided  ?  What  mark  shows  that 
a  part  of  the  word  is  on  the  next  line  ?  What  two 
uses  of  the  hyphen  have  you  learned  in  this  lesson  ? 

Remember. — The  hyphen  is  sometimes  used  to  join  the  parts 
of  a  compound  word. 


WORD  BUILDING  195 

The  hyphen  is  used  at  the  end  of  a  line  to  show  that  a  part 
of  a  word  is  carried  over  to  the  next  line. 

The  division  of  a  word  at  the  end  of  a  line  must  be  made 
between  two  syllables.  A  word  of  one  syllable  cannot  be 
divided. 

Exercises.  —  I.  Find  ten  compound  words  without  a 
hyphen  and  five  with  a  hyphen. 

II.  Find  ten  words  divided  at  the  end  of  a  line. 

III.  Write  the  nurtibers  from  forty  to  fifty  ;  eighty 
to  ninety. 

IV.  Divide  the  following  ivords  into  syllables  :  — 


sultry 

sickening 

rapidly 

shadows 

dazzling 

lazily 

growing 

intense 

across 

laden 

banners 

vertical 

V.    Find  five  adjectives  in  the  selection,  and  tell  what 
noun  each  adjective  modifies. 

178 


WORD  BUILDING 

The  thousands  of  words  in  the  English  language 
are  not  all  separate  and  distinct  in  their  origin  and 
meaning,  but  a  large  majority  of  them  are  formed 
from  other  words.  For  example,  we  can  begin  with 
the  word  true  and  build  up  the  words  untrue,  truly, 
truth,  truthful,  untruthfid,  and  untruthfulness. 

If  we  know  how  to  form  several  words  from  one 
word  in  this  way,  we  have  a  means  of  rapidly  increas- 
ing our  store. 


196  LESSONS  IN  ENGLISH 

A  letter,  syllable,  or  word  joined  to  the  beginning  of  a  word 
to  modify  its  meaning  is  called  a  prefix. 

A  letter,  syllable,  or  word  joined  to  the  end  of  a  word  to 
modify  its  meaning  is  called  a  suffix. 

In  the  word  untruthful,  the  syllable  un  is  a  prefix,  and  fal 
is  a  suffix. 


179 


A   STUDY  OF   SOME   PREFIXES 

1.  Un  before  an  adjective  means  not.  Join  the 
prefix  un  to  these  adjectives,  and  notice  the  change  in 
'meaning :  — 


happy 

true 

usual 

steady 

equal 

wise 

kind 

lucky 

healthy 

lawful 

real 

ripe 

holy 

likely 

pleasant 

Use  each  of  the  new  adjectives  in  a  short  sentence ; 
as,  "The  story  is  untrue."  Find  in  your  reader  ten 
adjectives  beginning  with  un. 

To  THE  Teachp:r.  —  Pupils  should  be  given  practice  on  each  pre- 
fix and  suffix  (1)  by  means  of  the  words  that  follow ;  (2)  by  using 
each  new  word  in  a  sentence  ;  (3)  by  finding  similar  uses  of  the  given 
prefix  or  suffix  in  their  reading  lessons. 

2.  Un  before  verbs  means  hach  or  in  the  opposite 
way  ;  as,  furl  =  to  fold  or  roll  up  ;  unfurl  =  to  open 
or  roll  out. 


hitch 

fasten 

cover 

tie 

loose 

roll 

furl 

twist 

tangle 

bolt 

A    STUDY  OF  SOME  PREFIXES  197 

3.  Oyer  =  above   or   too   much;  as,   oversleep  =  to 
sleep  too  long. 

arch  flow  burden  load  draw 

spread  hang  work  look  do 

4.  Mis  =  doing  the  thing  wrongly,  mahing  an  error 
in  doing  it ;  as,  misbehave  =  behave  wrongly. 

understand  take  spell  place  manage 

judge  print  guide  quote  pronounce 

5.  Dis  =  not  or  the  opposite  of;  as,  disagree  =  not 
to  agree,  to  quarrel. 


appear 

obey 

approve 

own 

mount 

please 

honor 

arrange 

band 

claim 

6.  In,  im,  il,  ir,  =  not.  Any  one  of  these  prefixes 
placed  before  an  adjective  makes  a  new  adjective 
having  an  opposite  meaning  ;  as,  inactive  =  not  ac- 
tive. All  these  prefixes  are  different  forms  of  the 
one  prefix  in. 

capable  perfect  visible  patient  distinct 

mortal  liberal  regular  legible  famous 

Exercise.  —  Find  the  prefixes  in  the  folloiving  sen- 
tences, and  tell  how  each  is  used :  — 

1.  Edward  was  a  clumsy,  overgrown  boy.  2.  You  have 
been  misinformed.  3.  When  Jackson  had  once  made  up  his 
mind,  he  was  immovable.  4.  George,  please  unharness  the 
horse.  5.  Do  not  drink  impure  water.  6.  Why  do  you  dis- 
like Henry  ?  7.  The  sewing  class  has  been  discontinued. 
8.    The  speaker  was  very  uninteresting. 


198  LESSONS  IN  ENGLISH 

180 

WORD   PICTURES   IN   POETRY  AND  PROSE 
November 

I  hear  the  sigh  of  trees  that  sway 

Their  branches  overhead ; 
Their  sad  moan  seems  to  tell  that  they 

Are  filled  with  winter's  dread. 
And  everywhere  earth  shows  decay  — 

Grass,  flowers,  and  leaves  all  dead. 
Think  thou  to  claim  me,  gloomy  day? 

My  heart  is  spring  instead. 

—  Thomas  Wildey. 

Write  these  heautiful  lines  from  memory. 

January 
Write  the  following  from  memory  or  dictation:  — 

January !  Darkness  and  light  reign  alike.  Snow  is  on  the 
ground.  Cold  is  in  the  air.  The  winter  is  blossoming  in  frost 
flowers.  Why  is  the  ground  hidden?  Why  is  the  earth 
white?  So  hath  God  wiped  out  the  past;  so  hath  He  spread 
the  earth  like  an  unwritten  page  for  a  new  year!  Old  sounds 
are  silent  in  the  forest,  and.  in  the  air.  Insects  are  dead,  birds 
are  gone,  leaves  have  perished,  and  all  the  foundations  of  soil 
remain.  Upon  this  lies,  white  and  tranquil,  the  emblem  of 
newness  and  purity,  the  virgin  robes  of  the  yet  unstained 
year!  —  Hexry  Wakd  Beecher. 

Exercise. — ^What  differences  have  you  noticed  be- 
tween prose  and  poetry?  Talk  with  your  teacher 
about  them. 


THE  STUDY  OF  A   PICTURE 


199 


181 


THE   STUDY   OF   A   PICTURE 


Landscate  with  Mil, I,. 


Jiilysdael. 


Study  this  interesting  picture  until  you  have,  in  your 
mind,  a  picture  of  what  the  artist  saw  in  the  real 
landscape,  and  can  almost  hear  what  he  heard. 
Write  about:  — 

I.  The  point  of  land  on  which  the  mill  stands,  its  irregular 
shore,  the  gentle  slope,  the  trees,  the  houses,  the  mill  towering 
over  all;  colors  in  the  real  landscape. 

II.  The  mill  —  a  giant  in  size,  its  great  creaking  arms. 

III.  The  water  lapping  the  shore.     IV.    The  sky. 


200 


LESSONS  IN  ENGLISH 


182 


LESSON   ON    SYNONYMS 


1.  Study  the  following  adjectives,  and  arrange  the 
synonyms  iii  groups:  — 


expensive 

jubilant 

horrible 

joyous 

cunning 

costly 

dear 

awful 

sly 

happy 

crafty 

famous 

terrible 

vast 

celebrated 

huge 

2.    Arrange   groups   of  synonyms  from  these  ad- 
jectives :  — 


sure 

accurate 

cowardly 

ingenious 

correct 

dangerous 

brave 

daring 

timid 

fearful 

expert 

perilous 

skillful 

courageous 

risky 

certain 

3.  From  the  following  adjectives  pick  out  pairs  of 
words  that  have  opposite  meanings:  — 

bright  polite  merry  beautiful 

lazy  dull  rude  well-bred 

busy  vulgar  present  industrious 

idle  absent  ugly  sad 

4.  Use  many  of  the  above  adjectives  in  sentences, 
either  oral  or  ivritten,  as  your  teacher  directs. 

5.  Think   of  a   synonym  for   each  adjective   used 
heloiv :  - — 

wretched  men  fearless  soldier  handy  tools 

peaceful  scene  swift  current  feeble  words 

fierce  tiger  angry  bull  rich  women 


TWO  FAMOUS  EXPLORERS  201 


183 


TWO   FAMOUS  EXPLORERS 
A  Review 

I.  Tell  the  subject  and  predicate  of  each  sentence :  — 

The  early  French  missionaries  in  North  America  were  heroic 
men.  They  endured  many  hardships.  Among  these  mission- 
aries was  the  brave  Father  Marquette.  Friendly  Indians  told 
him  of  a  great  river  in  the  West.  Marquette  was  joined  by 
another  daring  explorer  named  Joliet. 

These  two  men  decided  to  explore  the  mysterious  river. 
They  had  two  canoes,  a  small  stock  of  dried  meat,  and  five  men. 
The  little  company  set  out  on  a  beautiful  day  in  May,  1G72. 
Many  times  they  were  attacked  by  unfriendly  Indians.  They 
continued  their  dangerous  journey  as  far  as  the  Arkansas 
River.  No  other  white  men  had  ever  sailed  such  a  long  dis- 
tance on  the  Mississippi  River. 

The  journey  back  was  very  difficult.  Four  months  of  hard 
labor  were  spent  in  returning  to  Lake  Michigan.  They  had 
traveled  twenty-four  hundred  miles.  Few  men  have  been 
more  useful  to  the  world  than  these  two  explorers. 

II.  I'ell  the  subject  of  each  paragraph.  Make  an 
outline. 

III.  From  the  above  sentences  select  five  examples  of 
each  part  of  sj^eech,  indicated  below,  and  arrange  them 
in  columns  as  follows :  — 

Nouns         |         Verbs         |  Pronouns         |         Adjectives 

IV.  Make  a  list  of  five  common  nouns  and  five 
proper  nouns. 


202  LESSONS  IN  ENGLISH 


184 


HELPING   THE   SHOEMAKER 

I^ead  the  following  lines :  — 

For  you,  along  the  Spanish  main 

A  hundred  keels  are  plowing; 
For  you,  the  Indian  on  the  plain 

His  lasso  coil  is  throwing  ; 
For  you,  deep  glens  with  hemlock  dark 

The  woodman's  fire  is  lighting; 
For  you,  upon  the  oak's  gray  bark 

The  woodman's  ax  is  smiting. 

For  you,  from  Carolina's  pine 
The  rosin  gum  is  stealing ; 
For  you,  the  dark-eyed  Florentine 

Her  silken  skein  is  reeling ; 
For  you,  the  dizzy  goatherd  roams 

His  rugged  Alpine  ledges; 
For  you,  round  all  her  shepherd  homes, 
Bloom  England's  thorny  hedges. 

—  John  G.  Whittier. 
The  poet  wrote  these  Hnes  to  show  that  many  dif- 
ferent people,  in  widely  separated  parts  of  the  world, 
work  together  to  produce  a  shoe.  Tell  in  your  own 
words  who  these  people  are,  what  each  person  does,  and 
where  and  how  each  one  carries  on  his  part  of  the  work. 
Exercise.  —  Try  to  think  of  all  the  people  who 
have  helped  in  producing  some  common  article  of 
clothing,  food,  or  furniture  ;  as,  a  coat,  a  pair  of  gloves, 
or  a  spool  of  cotton  thread.     After  you  have  thought 


WHAT  3IY  OLD   SHOE  TOLD  203 

carefully  about  the  matter,  write  at  least  two  para- 
graphs about  the  subject  you  select. 

In  each  of  the  above  stanzas  there  are  four  word 
pictures. 

Try  to  fold  each  picture  mid  see  it  in  your  imagination. 

Draw  on  paper  a  real  picture  of  one  of  these  scenes. 

185 


WHAT  MY  OLD   SHOE   TOLD 
An  Exercise  in  Story-Telling 

"  Here  goes,"  said  a  small  boy,  as  he  picked  up  an  old  shoe 
to  toss  it  into  a  box  of  rubbish. 

"  Not  so  fast,  not  so  fast,"  he  heard  some  one  say  softly ; 
"we  have  been  companions  so  long;  do  let  me  tell  my  story 
before  I  am  buried  out  of  sight  forever." 

The  puzzled  boy  turned  quickly.  No  one  was  in  sight. 
Again  he  heard  a  voice,  this  time  it  was  close  to  his  ear. 
"  Yes,  we  have  traveled  together  a  long  time,"  it  said.  "  How 
well  I  remember  the  first  time  you  tried  me  on !     It  was  —  " 

Finish  the  story,  telling  the  history  of  a  shoe,  thus: — 

1.  The  skin  of  an  animal. 

2.  In  the  tannery. 

3.  In  the  shoe  factory. 

4.  In  wear. 

5.  Worn  out. 

Prepare  a  similar  outline  for  a  story  of  one  of  the 
things  named  below.      Write  the  sto7ij. 

1.  An  old  overshoe.  2.  A  worn-out  soldier  coat.  3.  A 
broken  button.      4.   A  steel  buckle.       5.   A  scrap  of  paper. 


204  LESSONS  IN  ENGLISH 

186 

WAVES    AFTER    A    STORM 

Degrees  of  Quality 

The  keeper  (of  the  lighthouse)  said  that  after  a  long  and 
strong  blow,  there  would  be  three  large  waves,  each  successively 
larger  than  the  last,  and  then  no  large  ones  for  some  time,  and 
that,  when  they  wished  to  land  in  a  boat,  they  came  in  on  the 
last  and  larp^est  wave.  —  Thoreau. 


I- 

1 

IH 

m 

m^SH^SB^^^m 

^fe 

What  quality  belongs  to  all  the  three  waves  ?  Are 
these  three  waves  all  of  the  same  size  ?  How  does  the 
second  wave  compare  with  the  first  ?  How  does  the 
third  compare  with  the  second  ?  How  does  the  third 
wave  compare  with  both  the  other  waves  ? 

In  the  expression  three  large  waves  the  adjective 
large  describes  waves.  The  waves  were  of  different 
sizes,  but  one  is  not  compared  with  another ;  they 
were   all  large.     In  the  words  each  larger  than  the 


WAVES  AFTER  A   STORM  205 

last,  the  second  wave  is  compared  with  the  first  and 
the  third  wave  with  the  second  by  changing  the  form 
of  the  adjective  to  larger.  In  the  expression  the 
largest  ivave  the  last  wave  is  compared  with  all  the 
others  by  changing  the  form  of  the  adjective  to  largest. 
Many  adjectives  change  tlieir  form  to  express  dif- 
ferent degrees  of  quality.  This  change  in  the  form 
of  adjectives  is  called  comparison. 

1.  The  simple  form  of  the  adjective  is  called  the 
positive  degree ;  as,  tveak,  noble,  hajJiJy. 

2.  The  form  that  expresses  a  higher  or  lower  de- 
gree of  the  quality  is  called  the  comparative  degree; 
as,  weaker,  nohler,  liapiner. 

3.  The  form  that  expresses  the  highest  or  lowest 
degree  of  the  quality  is  called  the  superlative  degree ; 
as,  weakest,  nohlest,  happiest. 

Most  adjectives  of  one  syllable,  and  some  of  two 
syllables,  add  er  to  the  positive  to  form  the  compara- 
tive, and  est  to  form  the  superlative. 

In  adding  the  endings  er  and  est  be  careful  about 
the  spelling.  (1)  Drop  final  e:  as,  pure,  purer, pur- 
est;  (2)  change  final  ?/  to  i:  as,  handy,  handier,  handi- 
est;  (3)  double  a  final  consonant  when  it  is  preceded 
by  a  single  vowel ;  as  hot,  hotter,  hottest. 

Remember.  —  In  comparing  two  persons  or  things  use  the  com- 
parative form ;  in  comparing  more  than  two  use  the  superlative. 

Exercises.  —  I.  Copy  the  folloiving  sentences,  filling 
each  hlank  with  the  proper  form  of  the  given  adjective:  — 


206  LESSONS  IN  ENGLISH 

1.  Lake  Michigan  is than  Lake  Erie  (large). 

2.  The  sun  is ^than  the  moon  (bright). 

3.  Which  is ,  lead  or  water  (heavy)  ? 

4.  The  grizzly  bear  is  the of  the  bear  family  (fierce). 

5.  The  best  fishing  is  not  always  in  the pool  (deep). 

6.  Cotton  needs  a climate  than  wheat  (hot). 

7.  In  December  the  days  are  much than  in  Jnne  (short). 

8.  Which  is ,  Texas,  New  York,  or  Vermont  (large)  ? 

9.  The  weather  is in  the  winter  (cold). 

10.  The  Amazon  is  the river  in  South  America  (long). 

11.  I^lan  and  ivrite  a  composition  suggested  by  the 
picture  of  the  lighthouse. 

187 


THE   GENTLEMANLY  HORSE 

Comparison  of  Adjectives 
Sead :  — 

A  good  horse  is  a  perfect  gentleman.  He  meets  you  in  the 
morning  with  unmistakable  pleasure.  If  you  are  near  the 
grain  bin,  he  will  give  you  the  most  cordial  welcome,  if  not  to 
breakfast  with  him,  at  least  to  wait  upon  him  in  that  interest- 
ing ceremony.  His  drinking  is  particularly  nice.  He  always 
loves  running  water,  in  the  clearest  brook,  at  the  most  sparkling 
place  in  it. 

See  how  many  adjectives  you  can  find  in  the  above 
selection.  Look  at  the  adjective  7}iost  cordial.  It  is 
a  superlative  form  and  yet  is  not  formed  by  adding 
est,  but  by  prefixing  the  word  most.  Find  another 
superlative  that  is  formed  by  prefixing  most. 

Many  adjectives  of  two  or  more  syllables  form  the 


IRREGULAR   COMPARISON  207 

comparative  by  prefixing  more  or  less,  and  the  super- 
lative by  prefixing  most  or  least ;  as :  — 
famous  more  famous  most  famous 

useful  less  useful  least  useful 

Exercise.  —  Compare  these  adjectives  by  using  more 
and  most  or  less  and  least ;  as  :  — 

cordial  sparkling  interesting 

productive  fertile  difficult 

important  awkward  beautiful 

188 


IRREGULAR  COMPARISON 

Find  the  adjectives  in  the  folloioimj  stanza  and  com- 
pare all  that  you  can. 

I  remember,  I  remember 

The  fir  trees  dark  and  high  ; 
I  used  to  think  their  slender  tops 

Were  close  against  the  sky. 
It  was  a  childish  ignorance, 

But  now  'tis  little  joy 
To  know  I'm  farther  off  from  heaven 

Than  when  I  was  a  boy. 

Some   adjectives  are   compared  irregularly.     The 

most  important  are  these  :  — 

good  better  best 

bad  worse  worst 

little  less  least 

much,  many  more  most 

near  nearer  nearest,  next 

far  farther  farthest 


208  LESSONS  IN  ENGLISH 

Exercise.  — Tell  ivhich  degree  is  shoivn  hy  each  of  the 
folio  iving  adjectives.      Use  each  form  in  a  sentence. 

.  Lowest,  easier,  clearest,  simpler,  humble,  better,  deep,  worst, 
richest,  younger,  worse,  coldest,  fine,  most  extensive,  more 
difficult,  next. 

189 

AN   EXERCISE   IN  READING 

Par  away,  in  fair  Japan,  an  old  man  dwelt  with  his 
numerous  family.  His  great  thatched  farmhouse  stood  near 
the  edge  of  a  small  plateau,  overlooking  a  bay  and  the  sea 
beyond.  On  the  slopes  below  the  plateau  were  rice  fields. 
These  brought  him  w^ealth,  and  furnished  work  for  all  the 
peasants  of  the  region  round  about. 

Below  the  rice  fields  lay  a  little  village,  following  the 
curves  of  the  shore.  In  the  village,  lanterns  and  banners 
showed  that  the  harvest  feast  was  in  progress.  The  sea,  the 
village,  the  green  slopes,  the  level  plateau,  the  lofty  mountain, 
made  a  beautiful  picture  for  the  old  man  to  see  as  he  sat  at 
his  door  with  his  little  grandson  Tada. 

Suddenly  he  felt  something  queer  —  a  long,  slow,  spongy 
motion.  It  was  an  earthquake !  He  looked  at  the  sea.  It 
had  grown  suddenly  dark.     It  was  running  away  from  the  land. 

"  Quick  —  very  quick  !  Light  me  a  torch,"  he  cried  to  his 
grandson.  The  child  obeyed  at  once.  Hurrying  to  the 
fields,  the  old  man  thrust  the  lighted  torch  into  the  grain. 
Instantly  the  flames  burst  forth.  The  little  boy,  in  terror, 
ran  after  his  grandfather,  crying :  "  Grandfather !  Why  ? 
Oh,  why  ?  "     But  the  grandfather  did  not  answer. 

Presently  the  people  saw  the  flames  and  came  swarming 
up  the  hill  like  ants,  every  man,  woman,  and  child  came. 
"  Grandfather  is  mad !     I  am  afraid  of  him  !  "     cried  the  boy. 


AN  EXERCISE  IN  READING  209 

"  Look  ! "  shouted  the  old  man,  pointing  to  the  sea  ;  "  see 
now  if  I  am  mad!'' 

At  the  edge  of  the  horizon,  they  saw  a  long,  dim  line.  It 
was  as  if  the  sea  lifted  itself  to  the  sky.  Then  it  came 
rushing  toward  the  shore  with  a  roar  so  terrible  that  every  face 
grew  pale.  On,  on  it  came  until  it  burst  upon  the  shore,  and 
drove  the  spray  far  up  the  mountain  side.  It  drew  back,  still 
roaring  and  tearing  away  rocks,  trees,  houses,  everything. 
Twice,  thrice,  five  times,  the  great  wave  struck  and  ebbed; 
then  it  returned  to  its  place  and  stayed. 

On  the  plateau,  no  one  spoke  for  a  time.  All  looked  and 
looked  and  looked  at  the  scene  below.  The  village  was  not ; 
the  fields  were  not;  the  houses  and  temples  were  not;  but 
above,  on  the  plateau,  they,  the  people,  were  all  safe  and 
sound.  And  there  was  the  old  man,  by  his  own  act  made 
as  poor  as  they!  -Gently  the  old  man  spoke,  "You  know 
now  why  I  set  fire  to  the  rice."  But  the  people  shouted 
and  did  great  honor  to  him,  for  he  had  saved  their  lives !  — 
Lafcadio  Hearx.     (Adapted.) 

Study  of  the  Story.  —  Read  this  beautiful  story 
through.     Find  these  luord  pictures  in  it :  — 

1.  The  Home  of  the  Old  Man.  —  What  and  where  was  it  ? 

2.  Tlie  Village.  —  Where  did  it  lie  ?    What  made  it  look  gay  ? 

3.  Tlie  Earthquake.  —  What  did  the  old  man  feel  ? 

4.  The  Rice  Stacks.  — Picture  the  rice  in  stacks  ready  to  be 
sold;  the  old  man  running  from  one  to  the  other  with  his 
torch.     Picture  the  stacks  ablaze. 

5.  TJie  Swarming  of  the  Villagers.  —  Why  did  the  people 
stop  their  games  ?     How  did  they  come  up  the  steep  hill  ? 

6.  The  Tidal  Wave.  —  What  did  the  people  see  when  they 
looked  out  at  the  ocean  ?     What  did  they  hear  ? 


210  LESSONS  IN  ENGLISH 

7.  The  People  Saved.  —  What  happened  on  the  plateau  ? 
The  village  was  not  means  the  village  existed  no  longer  ;  it  was 
wiped  out.  What  other  things  dear  to  all  their  hearts  no 
longer  existed  ?  Who  did  exist  ?  Who  had  saved  them  ? 
What  words  contribute  most  to  each  word  picture  ?  In  what 
order  do  the  pictures  follow  one  another  ? 


190 


THE   RESCUE 

Completing  a  Story 

Following  is  the  first  part  of  a  true  story  which 
appeared  in  a  daily  paper.  Read  it  carefully,  and 
then  try  to  complete  it.      Tell  the  -whole  story. 

Last  evening  Willie  Gray,  who  lived  in  the  upper  part  of 
Kew  York,  took  his  terrier.  Spot,  and  went  down  to  the  Harlem 
E-iver  to  sit  on  the  pier  and  watch  the  boys  swim  in  the  river. 
There  were  at  least  a  thousand  people  on  the  near-by  piers,  in 
the  water  swimming,  and  on  the  Harlem  bridge  just  overhead. 

Willie  and  his  chums  threw  sticks  out  into  the  water  and 
Spot  brought  them  back  until  he  was  trembling  with  fatigue. 
Finally  seeing  how  tired  Spot  was,  Willie  chained  him  so  that 
he  could  not  jump  any  more  and  forbade  any  one  near  throw- 
ing sticks  to  tempt  him. 

When  Willie  had  his  head  turned  somebody  threw  a  stick 
right  by  Spot's  nose  into  the  water,  and  the  dog  leaped  in 
after  it,  dragging  his  chain  with  him.  When  Willie  saw  the 
dog  jump,  loaded  with  the  chain,  he  hurriedly  removed  his  coat 
and  went  in  to  save  him.  Spot  had  reached  the  stick  in  spite 
of  his  handicap,  but  his  chain  was  pulling  him  down  when 


ADVERBS  211 

Willie  got  to  him,  grabbed  him  about  the  neck,  and  tried  to 
swim  back  with  him. 

The  crowd  cheered,  but  at  first  nobody  would  go  near  the 
dog  and  his  struggling  master.  Then  James  Grady,  an 
engineer  on  a  tug  boat,  saw  the  boy  and  jumped  in  to  help. 

Finish  the  story.  Was  Willie  drowned  or  saved  ? 
What  happened  to  James  Grady  and  to  Spot  ?  Did 
all  three  lose  their  lives,  or  only  one  of  them,  or  were 
all  saved  ?  How  did  the  crowd  feel  over  the  result  ? 
Tell  all  the  interesting  things  that  happened. 

. 191 


ADVERBS 

Study  these  sentences :  — 

1.  Come  here. 

2.  Do  it  now. 

3.  Go  quickly. 

What  is  the  verb  in  the  first  sentence  ?  Notice  the 
word  here.  It  modifies  the  meaning  of  the  verb  come 
by  telling  where  the  person  spoken  to  is  to  come. 

What  is  the  verb  in  the  second  sentence  ?  The 
word  now  modifies  the  verb  do  by  telling  when  the 
act  is  to  be  done. 

What  is  the  verb  in  the  third  sentence  ?  The 
word  quickly  modifies  the  verb  go  by  telling  how 
the  action  is  to  be  done.  Words  used  with  verbs  to 
modify  their  meaning  are  called  adverbs.  IlerCj  now, 
quickly,  are  adverbs. 


212  LESSONS  IN  ENGLISH 

Exercises.  —  I.    Make   sentences,   using    the   ivords 
back,  forward,  there,  ivith  the  verhs  sit,  go,  march. 

II.  Hake  sentences,  using  the  ivords  to-day,  yester- 
day, never,  with  the  verbs  returned,  start,  lied. 

III.  Make     sentences,     using    the    words    neatly, 
quietly,  heartily,  with  the  verhs  laughs,  writes,  step. 

What  are  words  used  with  verbs  to  modify  their 
meaning  called  ? 

What  adverbs  have  you  used  in  this  lesson  ? 


192 


ADVERBS   WITH   OTHER   WORDS   THAN  VERBS 

Notice  the  ivords  in  italics:  — 

1.  How  extremely  quiet  Isidore  is  ! 

2.  How  very  carefully  he  works  ! 

What  adjective  modifies  the  noun  Isidore  in  the 
first  sentence  ?  The  word  extremely  modifies  the 
adjective  quiet  by  telling  how  quiet  a  boy  Isidore  is. 

What  adverb  modifies  the  verb  ivorks  f  The  word 
very  is  used  with  the  adverb  carefully  to  tell  how 
carefully  the  boy  works.  Words  used  with  adjectives 
or  adverbs  to  modify  their  meaning  are  called  adverbs. 
Extremely  and  very  are  adverbs. 

Definition.  — An  adverb  is  a  word  used  to  modify  the  meaning 
of  a  verb,  an  adjective,  or  another  adverb. 

Exercises.  —  I.  Use  the  word  very  to  tell  how  good 
apples  are ;  how  sweet  honey  is  ;  hoiv  black  coal  is. 


POETIC  COMPARISONS  213 

II.  Use  the  ivord  too  to  tell  hoiv  fast  or  hoiv  slowly 
some  one  runs,  talks,  eats. 

III.  Use  the  tvord  unusually  to  tell  hoio  shj,  pretty, 
frank,  polite,  interesting,  foolish,  studious,  rich,  poor, 
grateful,  affectionate,  wise,  stingy,  some  j^ersons  are. 

What  are  words  used  to  modify  the  meaning  ci 
verbs,  adjectives,  or  other  adverbs  called  ?  Name  five 
adverbs  used  in  this  lesson. 

Written  Exercise.  —  Copy  adverhs  from,  page  189. 

Comparison  of  Adverbs.  —  Some  adverbs  are  not 
compared;  some  others  are  compared  like  adjectives; 
as,  soon,  sooner,  soonest.  Those  ending  in  ly  usually 
prefix  more  and  most  or  less  and  least;  as,  terrihly, 
more  terrihly,  most  terrihly. 

Find  five  examples  of  the  comparison  of  adverhs. 


193 


POETIC  COMPARISOXS 

There  are  other  ways  of  comparing  things  besides 
changing  the  form  of  the  adjective  or  adverb.  When 
Hiawatha  had  built  his  birch  canoe  and  had  placed 
it  in  the  water,  the  poet  says  :  — 

"  And  it  floated  on  the  river 
Like  a  yellow  leaf  in  autumn." 

In  these  lines  the  canoe  is  compared  with  a  leaf. 
How  are  these  two  things  alike  ?  Each  is  light,  and 
each  floats  peacefully  and  noiselessly  on  the  water. 


214  LESSONS  IN  ENGLISH 

The  comparisons  on  page  205  deal  with  matters  of 
fact.  The  comparison  of  the  canoe  with  the  leaf  is 
poetic ;  its  purpose  is  not  so  much  to  give  information 
as  to  suggest  a  beautiful  picture. 

Exercises.  —  I.    Complete  the  comparisons  suggested 
heloiv :  — 

Example :  He  ran  like  a  deer. 

He  ran  like .  The  dew  glistened  like . 

She  sings  like .  Tom  can  swim  like . 

They  work  like .  His  words  cut  like . 

His  muscles  are  like .     They  fought  like . 

He  roared  like .  They  were  packed  in  like . 


The  above  comparisons  are  introduced  by  the  word 
like.     The  word  as  is  often  used  for  this  purpose. 

II.  Use  the  following  adjectives  with  as  in  compar- 
ing persons  or  things. 

Example  :  His  hair  was  as  white  as  snow. 

white  strong  hard  smooth 

swift  heavy  steady  sly 

gentle  wise  clear  dark 

bold  fresh  red  lively 

Like  should  not  be  used  instead  of  as  in  such  sentences  as^ 
"  Hold  your  pen  as  I  do." 

III.  What  persons  or  things  are  compared  in  each 
of  these  sentences  ? 

The  stars  glittered  like  diamonds. 
The  girls  are  as  busy  as  bees. 
His  words  were  as  bitter  as  wormwood. 
Her  lips  were  like  rubies. 


A   SWISS  LEGEND  215 


194 


A  SWISS   LEGEND 

Switzerland,  lovely  land  of  lake  and  mountain,  was  once 
under  the  iron  rule  of  a  cruel  Austrian  governor  named 
Gessler.  To  show  his  power,  the  hateful  Gessler  stuck  his 
cap  on  the  end  of  a  pole  and  commanded  that  every  passer-by 
should  bow  before  it. 

It  happened  one  day  that  William  Tell,  a  brave  Swiss, 
came  down  from  his  mountain  home  into  the  little  village 
of  Altdorf,  bringing  with  him  his  little  son  Walter.  The 
two  passed  the  cap  without  saluting  it,  and  Tell  was  arrested. 
As  luck  would  have  it,  at  that  moment  Gessler  came  riding 
along.  Looking  scornfully  at  Tell,  he  cried,  "  So  you  are  the 
best  marksman  in  the  land,  are  you  ? ''  Up  spoke  little 
Walter  then :  "  That  he  is !  My  father  can  shoot  an  apple 
from  a  tree  one  hundred  paces  away  ! " 

"  Oh,  ho !  "  sneered  Gessler.  "  Then  let  him  shoot  an 
apple  from  his  son's  head,  eighty  paces  away,  or  let  him 
die  !  Bind  the  boy  to  the  tree  yonder  !  "  "  Bind  me  !  '^  ex- 
claimed little  Walter ;  "  do  you  think  I  fear  my  father's 
arrow  ?  "  And  he  stood  by  the  tree,  while  soldiers  placed  an 
apple  upon  his  curly  head.  Again  he  cried,  "  Shoot,  father 
dear,  I  am  not  afraid." 

Tell,  pale  as  death,  bent  his  bow ;  the  arrow  flew  straight 
to  its  mark ;  arrow  and  apple  fell  together  to  the  ground. 
Unharmed,  the  boy  ran  to  his  father. 

At  this  moment  the  enraged  Gessler  said  harshly,  "  You 
took  another  arrow,  Tell ;  what  for  ?  "  "  That,  my  lord," 
replied  Tell,  fearlessly,  "  would  have  found  its  way  to  your 
heart  if  I  had  harmed  my  son ! " 


William  Tell. 


216 


A    SWISS  LEGEND  217 

The  study  of  the  Story.  —  Where  is  Switzerland  ? 
Ts  it  truly  a  "  lovely  land  of  lake  and  mountain  "  ? 
Look  it  up  in  your  geography  to  observe  how  this  is 
shown  on  the  map  of  Europe.  Look  at  a  picture  of 
Swiss  scenery  to  see  the  difference  between  maps  and 
pictures  of  a  country. 

To  tell  the  story  well,  you  should  get  the  following 
outline  or  order  of  events  clearly  fixed  in  your  mind. 
You  can  never  tell  a  story  well  that  does  not  live  in 
your  own  ^nind  first. 

1.  The  Austrian  Gessler.  —  What  kind  of  man  was  he  ? 
What  did  lie  do  to  show  his  power  ? 

2.  Tell  and  his  Son.  —  Wliere  were  they  ?  What  did  they 
fail  to  do  ?     What  happened  ? 

S.  Gessler,  Walter,  ayid  Tell.  —  How  did  Gessler  speak  to  Tell  ? 
Who  replied  to  Gessler?  What  feeling  does  Walter's  reply 
show  that  he  had  for  his  father  ?  What  did  Gessler  order  Tell 
to  do  ?    How  did  AValter  again  show  his  feeling  for  his  father  ? 

4.  TJte  Shot.  —  Picture  the  scene :  the  tree,  the  boy  under  it, 
the  apple,  the  suffering  father,  with  his  crossbow  and  arrow. 
Follow  the  shot  from  the  time  Tell  raises  his  bow. 

5.  The  Second  Arrow.  —  What  was  said  about  it  ? 

Is  Switzerland  free  to-day  ?  What  do  you  call 
such  a  government  as  that  of  Switzerland?  What 
country,  dear  to  you,  has  such  a  government  ? 

Tell  this  famous  story  in  as  dramatic  a  way  as  you 
can.  That  means,  add  action  to  your  words  in  order 
that  your  hearers  may  seem  to  see  these  things  hap- 
pening before  their  eyes. 


218                               LESSONS  IN  ENGLISH 
195 

POEMS  WHICH   FOSTER   LOVE   OF   COUNTRY 

Warren's  Address 

Stand !  the  ground's  your  own,  my  braves ! 
Will  ye  give  it  up  to  slaves  ? 
Will  ye  look  for  greener  graves  ? 

Hope  ye  mercy  still  ? 
What's  the  mercy  despots  feel  ? 
Hear  it  in  that  battle  peal ! 
Eead  it  on  yon  bristling  steel ! 

Ask  it,  —  ye  who  will ! 

Fear  ye  foes  who  kill  for  hire  ? 
Will  ye  to  your  homes  retire  ? 
Look  behind  you  !  they're  a-fire  ! 

And,  before  you,  see 
Who  have  done  it !  —  from  the  vale 
On  they  come  !  —  And  will  ye  quail  ?  — 
Leaden  rain  and  iron  hail 

Let  their  welcome  be  ! 

In  the  God  of  battles  trust ! 

Die  we  may,  —  and  die  we  must ; 

But,  oh,  where  can  dust  to  dust 

Be  consigned  so  well. 

As  where  heaven  its  dews  shall  shed 

On  the  martyred  patriot's  bed, 

And  the  rocks  shall  raise  their  head. 

Of  his  deeds  to  tell ! 

—  John  Pierpont. 

What  other  patriotic  poem  can  you  rep)eatf 
Which  poem  is  your  favorite  f      Why  ? 


WORDS  IN  A   SERIES  219 


196 


ORAL  REVIEW 

1.  What  is  an  adjective  ?     Give  one. 

2.  Give  five  adjectives   that  may  be  used  in  describing   a 
sunset. 

3.  Give  five  adjectives  that  tell  the  kinds  of  handwriting 
seen  in  school. 

4.  Tell  the  kind  of  hand  a  boy  or  a  girl  must  be  able  to 
write  to  get  work  in  an  ofldee. 

5.  Name  adjectives  that  answer  to  the  questions  Jiow  many 
or  how  much;  which  one. 

6.  What  is  a  pronoun  ?     Fill  in  a  proper  pronoun :  Come 
to  Harold  or . 

7.  W^hat  is  an  adverb  ?     Give  one. 

8.  Give  three  adverbs  that  may  be  used  with  the  verb  walk; 
with  the  adjective  attentive  ;  with  the  adverb  quietly. 


197 


WORDS  IN  A   SERIES 
A  Use  of  the  Comma 
Observe  the  use  of  the  comma  in  these  sentences :  — 

1.  Men,  women,  and  children  hurried  to  the  wharf. 

2.  They  ran,  pushed,  shoved,  stumbled,  and  almost  fell. 

3.  They  were  a  hot,  tired,  dirty,  but  jolly  crowd. 

The  nouns  men,  ivomen,  and  children  together  form 
the  subject  of  the  first  sentence.  Words  used  in  this 
way  to  do  the  same  work  in  a  sentence  are  said  to 


220  LESSONS  IN  ENGLISH 

form  a  list,  or  series,  and  are  separated  from  one 
another  by  commas. 

A  series  of  verbs  is  used  in  the  second  sentence  to 
form  the  predicate.     How  are  commas  used  in  it  ? 

In  the  third  sentence  a  series  of  adjectives  is  nsed. 
JRead  the  series.     How  are  commas  nsed  in  it  ? 

Exercises.  —  I.    Find  a  series  of  nouns  on  page  208. 

II.  Dictate  to  some  one  the  names  of  pupils  in  the 
front  seats  in  your  schoolroom.  Use  the  list  in  a  sen- 
tence to  be  written  on  the  blackboard. 

III.  Dictate  in  07ie  sentence  a  list  of  things  you  do 
in  school  every  day.  Have  the  sentence  placed  on 
the  blackboard  and  punctuated. 

IV.  Write  from  dictation  :  — 

Great,  wide,  beautiful,  wonderful  World, 
With  the  wonderful  water  round  you  curled. 
And  the  wonderful  grass  upon  your  breast. 
World,  you  are  beautifully  drest. 

V.  Write  a  sentence,  using  a  series  of  adjectives 
describing  the  little  girl  on  jmge  236. 

198 


PREPOSITIOXS 

Study  the  ivords  m  italics  :  — 

1.  Come  into  the  house,  Paul. 

2.  Po  not  bring  the  dog  tvith  you. 

3.  Take  him  to  the  barn. 


PREPOSITIONS  221 

In  the  first  sentence  the  little  word  i7ito  is  used  to 
show  the  relation  between  the  noun  house  and  the 
verb  come.  Paul  understood  from  it  that  he  was  to 
enter  the  house. 

In  the  second  sentence  the  word  with  is  used  to 
show  the  relation  between  the  pronoun  you  and  the 
verb  bring.  From  it  Paul  knew  that  the  dog  was  not 
to  enter  the  house  with  him. 

In  the  third  sentence  the  word  to  is  used  to  show 
the  relation  between  the  noun  harii  and  the  verb  take. 
^^'hat  did  Paul  learn  from  it  ? 

Words  like  into,  with,  to,  that  are  used  with  nouns 
and  pronouns  to  show  their  relation  to  some  other 
word  in  the  sentence,  are  called  prepositions. 

Definition.  —  A  preposition  is  a  word  used  with  a  noun  or 
pronoun  to  show  its  relation  to  some  other  word  or  words  in 
the  sentence. 

Exercises.  —  I.  Show  the  meaning  of  the  inclosed 
words  })]j performing  each  act  suggested:  — 


Place  your  book 


on 

under 

before 

behind 

over 


your  desk. 


II.  Tell  in  complete  sentences  what  you  did  in  each 
case. 

What  are  words  used  with  nouns  or  pronouns  to 
show  relation  to  other  words  in  the  sentence  called  ? 

III.  Select  the  prepositions  on  page  215. 


222  LESSOJSfS  IN  ENGLISH 


199 


WORD   STUDY 

Exercises.  —  Between  and  amo7ig.  The  best  writers 
use  hehveen  when  they  speak  of  two  persons  or  things 
only  ;  thus  :  — 

1.  Between  the  dark  and  the  daylight  comes  the  twilight. 

2.  Between  tlie  mountain  and  the  sea  lay  the  village. 

3.  Between  two  lines  of  soldiers,  he  marched  to  his  ship. 

4.  John  and  Charles  divided  the  money  between  them. 

They  use  among  when  speaking  of  more  than 
two :  — 

1.  There  he  stood  among  a  crowd  of  boys  no  cleaner  than 
himself. 

2.  You  will  find  it  among  the  books  on  that  shelf. 

3.  Here  are  all  colors  —  red,  blue,  green,  purple,  yellow, 
orange.     Isn't  it  hard  to  choose  among  so  many  ? 

4.  The  robbers  divided  the  money  among  themselves. 

I.  Copy  the  senteiices  given  above. 

II.  Fill  the  blanks  ivith  the  proper  loord,  between 
or  among :  — 

1.   you  and  me,  there  is  no  such  thing  as  a  ghost. 

2.  Stand Jacob  and  Hans. 

3.   so  many,  the  lad  was  hard  to  find. 

4.  Put  the  jelly two  pieces  of  bread. 

5.  The  children  were  hiding the  bushes. 

III.  Use  the  words  between  and  among  in  sentences 
of  your  own. 


MUSIC  IN  POETRY  223 


200 


MUSIC  IN  POETRY 

Perhaps  some  one  will  read  to  you  a  bit  of  talk 
between  the  sprite  Puck  and  the  Fairy  in  "  A  Mid- 
sinniner-Night's  Dream,"  or  some  other  poem  chosen 
from  the  list  given  below.  Listen,  that  your  ear  may 
be  trained  to  hear  the  music  in  poetry. 

The  music  is  not  always  the  same ;  sometimes  it 
is  slow  and  soothing,  as  in  the  lullaby  "  To  Titania"; 
sometimes  it  is  quick  and  sparkling,  as  in  "  Ariel's 
Song";  sometimes  it  is  almost  harsh,  but  stirring,  as 
in  "  Boot  and  Saddle."  Here  is  a  list  from  which 
to  choose : — 

"  Hark !  hark!  the  lark.^^ — From  Shakespeare's  "Cymbeline.'' 
"  Under  the  greenwood  tree."  —  From  "  As  You  Like  It." 
ArieVs  Songs.  — Fiom  "The  Tempest." 
Boot  and  Saddle.  —  Robert  Browning. 

Puck  and  the  Fairy 

Puck.     How  now,  spirit !  whither  wander  you  ? 
Fairy.     Over  hill,  over  dale. 

Thorough  brush,  thorough  brier, 

Over  park,  over  pale, 

Thorough  flood,  thorough  fire, 

I  do  wander  everywhere 

Swifter  than  the  moone's  sphere ; 

And  I  serve  the  fairy  queen. 

To  dew  her  orbs  upon  the  green  ; 

The  cowslips  tall  her  pensioners  be; 

In  their  gold  coats  spots  you  see  ; 


224  LESSONS  IN  ENGLISH 

Those  be  rubies,  fairy  favours, 

In  those  freckles  live  their  savours, 

I  must  go  seek  some  dewdrops  here, 

And  hang  a  pearl  in  every  cowslip's  ear. 

Farewell,  thou  lob  of  spirits ;  I'll  be  gone : 

Our  queen  and  all  her  elves  come  here  anon. 

201 


A  LITTLE   HISTORY   STORY   TO   BE   RETOLD 

Israel  Putnam  was  a  man  who  loved  both  his  home 
and  his  country  and  fought  bravely  for  them.  Head 
this  story  about  Mm :  — 

About  the  year  1739  Putnam  went  to  Connecticut  to  build 
a  home.  The  country  was  unsettled.  Dangers  and  hard- 
ships were  many  and  great.  Among  other  things,  the  peo- 
ple suffered  loss  through  wolves.  In  one  night  Putnam 
had  seventy  fine  sheep  and  goats  killed,  and  many  lambs 
and  kids  wounded,  by  an  old  wolf. 

This  old  wolf  had  long  escaped  capture.  At  last,  a  party 
was  made  up  to  hunt  her  to  her  death.  She  took  refuge  in 
her  den.  Dogs,  guns,  fire,  sulphur,  could  not  force  her  out, 
nor  could  any  man  be  hired  to  go  in  after  her.  At  last, 
in  spite  of  all  that  his  friends  could  say,  Putnam  made 
ready  to  go  into  the  den.  He  took  off  his  coat  and  waist- 
coat, and  fastened  a  long  rope  to  one  leg.  When  he  gave 
the  sign,  he  was  to  be  pulled  out  with  this  rope. 

Headforemost  he  crept  in.  Within  all  was  as  dark  as 
night,  and  as  still  as  death.  He  lighted  some  birch  bark 
that  he  had  brought.  In  the  end  of  the  cavern  sat  the 
fierce  old  beast.  At  sight  of  the  intruder  she  growled  and 
gnashed   her   teeth.     Then  Putnam   gave   the  sign,  and   the 


A   LITTLE  HISTORY  STORY  TO  BE  RETOLD        225 

men  outside  pulled  him  out  so  quickly  that  his  shirt  was 
almost  torn  from  his  back. 

Do  you  think  that  he  came  out  because  he  was  afraid  ? 
By  no  means !  He  needed  his  gun.  Having  loaded  it,  he 
went  back  into  the  den.  This  time  the  wolf  sprang  at  him. 
At  that  instant  the  gun  went  off,  and  Putnam,  half  stunned 
with  the  noise  and  suffocated  with  the  smoke,  signaled  a 
second  time  and  was  drawn  out. 

A  third  time  he  crept  into  the  den.  Not  a  sound  could 
he  hear.  Seeing  the  wolf  on  the  floor  of  the  cavern,  he  put 
his  torch  to  her  nose.  She  did  not  stir.  He  signaled  to 
his  friends ;  they  pulled  vigorously,  and  out  came  the  plucky 
hunter  dragging  the  old  enemy,  dead. 

I.  Study  the  story ;  see  hoiv  closely  it  follows  the 
outline :  — 

I.  Putnam's  hardships  in  founding  his  home.  The  dam- 
age done  by  the  wolf.  2.  The  hunt  for  the  wolf  and  Put- 
nam's resolve.  3.  Putnam's  first  entrance  into  the  den. 
4.   Putnam's  second  entrance.     5.   Putnam's  last  entrance. 

II.  What  part  of  the  above  story  forms  the  introduc- 
tion ?  the  body?  the  point?     Is  there  a  conckision? 

III.  Make  an  outline  of  a  history  story  chosen  by  the 
teacher. 

Word  study 
Repeat  and^  add  to  these  sentences :  — 
He  creeps.  He  crept.  He  has  crept. 

They  draw.  They  drew.  They  have  drawn. 

He  fights.  He  fought.  He  has  fought. 

From  the  story  you  may  learn  how  to   use  correctly  the 
two  little  words  in  and  into ;  thus :  — 
Q 


226 


LESSONS  IN   ENGLISH 


In  means  within;  as,  The  wolf   sat  in  the  corner  of  the 
den.     She  lay  in  the  den,  dead. 

Into  means  motioji  from  the  outside  to  the  inside;   as,  He 

(being  outside)  crept  into  the  den  where  the  wolf  lay  (inside). 

In  the  foUowijig  sentences,  use  the  proper  word,  in  or  into  :  — 

1.    His   gun   is his  hand.     2.    He   carries   it the 

den.     3.    It  was the  year  1739.     4.    His  knife  is his 

his  pocket.     6.   Fish 
the    water.      8. 


pocket.     5.    The  boy  puts  his  knife 

swim the    river.      7.   Eover    dives 


the  trap  ran  the  mouse. 


202 


BIOGRAPHY 

The  story  of  a  person's 
life  is  a  hiograj)hy ;  as, 
"  Scudder's  Life  of  Wash- 
ington." Sometimes  a  per- 
son writes  an  account  of 
his  own  life ;  then  the 
writing  is  called  an  auto- 
hiograpliy.  "  Franklin's 
Autobiography  "  is  one  of 
the  most  noted  examples 
of  this  kind  of  narration. 

In  writing  a  biographi- 
cal sketch  the  plan  given 
on  the  next  page  will  be 
of  help.  Of  course,  no  two 
lives  are  alike.  In  some  cases  the  boyhood  of  a  person 
is  important  and  full  of  interest ;  in  other  cases  very 


BIOGRAPHY  227 

little  is  known  of  the  boyhood ;  or,  if  it  is  known,  it 
has  no  important  bearing  on  the  life  as  a  whole. 
The  same  is  true  of  other  periods  of  life. 

1.  Introduction.  — Name  of  person,  for  what  famous. 

2.  Birth.  —  Time,  place,  parentage,  family. 

3.  Boyhood  and  Youth.  — Education,  work  and  play,  favorite 
occupations,  habits. 

4.  Manhood.  —  Important  events,  public  and  private,  in 
order  of  their  occurrence. 

5.  Death.  —  Time,  place,  particulars  (if  interesting). 

6.  Conclusion.  —  Appearance,  dress,  manners,  traits  of  char- 
acter, why  successful,  achievements. 

Exercise.  —  Write  a  hiographical  sketch  of  Daniel 
Boone,  usiiKj  the  general 2)lan  outlined  above.  Look  up 
the  following  points  in  some  hiographij  of  Boone  :  — 

When  and  where  born  —  his  schoohng — what  he  learned 
in  the  woods  —  why  he  went  to  Kentucky  —  first  capture  by 
the  Indians  —  fate  of  companions  —  alone  in  the  Wilderness 
—  his  stockade  —  coming  of  family  —  capture  of  daughter  — 
his  second  capture  —  escape  —  defense  of  Boonesborough  — 
constant  warfare  —  closing  years  —  grant  of  land  beyond  the 
Mississippi  Kiver  — characteristics  —  honesty  —  kindness  — 
"  a  sure  shot  "  —  "  typical  pioneer." 

Other  good  subjects  for  biographical  sketches :  — 

Columbus  John  Smith  Peter  Stuyvesant 

De  Soto  Koger  Williams  La  Salle 

Drake  Henry  Hudson  William  Penn 

Also  your  favorite  author,  artist,  poet,  inventor,  hero, 
business  man,  philanthropist,  whether  man  or  woman. 


228  LESSONS  IN  ENGLISH 


203 


PHRASES 

The  boy  lives  here.  The  boy  lives  in  this  place. 

Is  there  any  difference  in  the  meaning  of  the  above 
sentences  ?  Is  there  a  difference  in  the  words  used  ? 
The  adverb  here  and  the  words  in  this  2:flace  mean  the 
same  thing,  and  have  the  same  use  in  the  sentence  ; 
they  tell  where  the  boy  lives.  A  group  of  words  like 
in  this  place  is  called  a  phrase.  The  words  in  a 
phrase  belong  to  or  are  related  to  one  another,  but 
they  do  not  express  a  thought  because  they  have 
neither  subject  nor  predicate. 

Exercises.  —  I.  Use  these  groups  of  words  in  sen- 
tences :  — 

At  home,  at  school,  at  work,  out  of  doors,  before  the  war, 
after  dinner,  at  that  moment,  after  a  while,  without  fail,  over 
the  mantel,  in  his  cavern,  behind  the  gun,  among  the  leaves, 
between  the  covers,  against  the  walls,  beyond  the  sea,  over 
the  wall. 

What  are  such  groups  of  related  words  called  ? 
What  phrases  have  you  used  in  this  exercise  ? 

II.  Select  Jive  phrases  from  the  lines  on  pages  223 
and  224. 

III.  Use  these  phrases  in  sentences  :  — 

Of  wealth,  of  great  beauty,  of  good  habits,  with  golden  hair, 
of  meat,  of  berries,  of  milk,  on  the  wall,  of  candy. 


PREPOSITIONAL  PHRASES  229 


204 


PREPOSITIONAL  PHRASES 
Study  the  phrases  in  the  folloiving  six  sentences :  — 

1.  Imjwrtant  business  detained  me. 

2.  Business  of  importance  detained  me. 

3.  A  storm  raged  furiously  all  day. 

4.  A  storm  raged  with  fury  all  day. 

5.  Joseph  is  excellent  in  composition. 

6.  La  Salle  sailed  down  the  Mississippi  River. 

Notice  that  the  first  and  second  sentences  have  the 
same  meaning.  In  the  first,  the  noim  husiness  is 
modified  by  the  adjective  imjwrtant ;  in  the  second, 
the  prepositional  phrase  of  importance  takes  the 
place  of  the  adjective,  without  changing  the  mean- 
ing. The  adjective  and  the  phrase  are  used  in  the 
same  way  to  modify  husiness. 

A  phrase  is  often  used  like  an  adjective  to  modify  a  noun  or 
pronoun. 

In  the  third  sentence  what  word  modifies  the  verb 
racjedf  What  kind  of  word  is  it?  What  phrase  in 
the  fourth  sentence  takes  the  place  of  furiously  f  Is 
the  meaning  changed  ?     How  is  the  phrase  used  ? 

In  the  fifth  sentence  what  phrase  shows  hoio  Joseph 
is  excellent  ?  What  kind  of  word  is  excellent  ?  Then 
what  does  the  plirase  modify  ? 

A  phrase  is  often  used  like  an  adverb  to  modify  a  verb  or  an 
adjective. 


230  LESSONS  IN  ENGLISH 


205 


VARIETY  OF   EXPRESSION 

I.  In  the  following  sentences  change  the  italicized 
loords  to  phrases.  Is  the  phrase  used  hke  an  adjective 
or  like  an  adverb  ? 

1.  This  work  must  have  been  done  hurriedly. 

2.  Children  filled  the  air  with  joyful  shouts. 

3.  When  shall  I  call  at  your  office  ? 

4  Julius  was  always  ready  to  hear  an  Indiayi  story. 

5.  Children  cannot  safely  handle  firearms. 

6.  Be  respectful  to  your  elders  ahvays. 

7.  Toronto  is  a  prosperous  Canadian  city. 

8.  You  need  a  larger-sized  house  than  this. 

9.  Is  Herbert  a  strictly  honest  boy  ? 
10.  Jane  plays  the  violin  very  skillfidly. 

II.  In  the  folloiving  sentences  change  the  italicized 
phrases  to  adjectives  or  adverbs :  — 

1.  A  chain  of  gold  encircled  her  neck. 

2.  The  letter  was  evidently  written  in  haste. 

3.  A  passage  under  the  ground  led  to  the  castle. 

4.  The  soldiers  fought  ivith  great  bravery. 

5.  The  trunk  was  bound  with  bands  of  leather. 

6.  The  fowler  tried  in  vain  to  hit  the  bird. 

7.  In  winter  most  trees  are  ivithoid  leaves. 

8.  AVashiugton  had  a  task  of  great  difficulty  to  perform. 

9.  The  farmer  plods  his  weary  way  toivard  home. 

10.  At  no  time  before  has  Ethel  looked  so  well. 

11.  A  look  of  anxiety  came  over  his  face. 

12.  In  what  place  shall  I  look  next  ? 


POSSESSION  EXPRESSED  BY  A  PHRASE  231 


206 


REVIEW   OF  POSSESSIVE  FORMS 

General  Rule.  —  The  possessive  form  of  a  noun  is  written 
with  an  apostrophe  and  s  in  the  singular  and  with  an  apostrophe 
alone  in  the  plural. 

Exceptions.  —  The  only  exceptions  to  the  general 
rule  are  a  few  plural  nouns  that  do  not  end  in  .s,  like 
men^  loomen,  and  children.  The  possessive  plural  of 
such  words  is  written  with  an  apostrophe  and  s. 
This  exception  includes  other  plurals  ending  in  men^ 
like  fishermen,  washerwomen. 

Dictation  Exercise 

1.  I  love  my  country's  vine-clad  hills. 

2.  They  placed  a  wreath  on  the  victor's  brow. 

3.  Here  is  the  old  man's  cane. 

4.  Have  you  seen  the  children's  room  ? 

5.  This  room  is  reserved  for  the  ladies'  wraps. 

6.  The  soldiers'  guns  were  stacked. 

7.  Did  you  attend  the  firemen's  ball  ? 

8.  The  invaders  burned  the  inhabitants'  houses. 

9.  These  hooks  are  for  the  boys'  hats. 
10.  Here  is  somebody's  knife. 

207 

POSSESSION   EXPRESSED  BY  A   PHRASE 

Instead  of  the  possessive  form,  a  phrase  beginning 
with  of  is  frequently  used  to  indicate  ownership. 


232  LESSONS  IN  ENGLISH 

Possessive  Form  Of -phrase 

The  pirates'  cave.  The  cave  of  the  pirates. 

The  robin's  note.  The  note  of  the  robin. 

Mr.  McMaster's  son.  The  son  of  Mr.  McMaster. 

Write  out  the  following  sentences,  changing  the  of- 
phrases  to  possessive  forms  :  — 

1.  Have  you  read  tHe  poems  of  Longfellow  ? 

2.  Take  the  hats  of  the  gentlemen. 

3.  The  ships  of  the  enemy  were  captured. 

4.  This  is  the  playground  of  the  children. 

5.  The  written  permission  of  the  owner  was  obtained. 

6.  The  picture  of  your  niece  is  excellent. 

7.  T  am  amazed  at  the  luck  of  those  fishermen. 

8.  Do  this  for  the  sake  of  your  parents. 

9.  Putnam  entered  the  den  of  the  wolf. 
10.  We  honor  the  deeds  of  our  heroes. 


208 


A  PENNSYLVANIA   FARMHOUSE 
An  Exercise  in  Description 

The  house  built,  like  most  other  old  farmhouses  in  that 
part  of  the  country,  of  stone,  stood  near  the  bottom  of  a 
rounded  knoll,  overhanging  the  deep,  winding  valley.  It  was 
two  stories  in  height,  the  gable  looking  towards  the  road,  and 
showing,  just  under  the  broad  double  chimney,  a  limestone 
slab,  upon  which  were  rudely  carved  the  initials  of  the  builder 
and  his  wife,  and  the  date  "  1727."  A  low  portico,  overgrown 
with  woodbine  and  trumpet  flower,  ran  along  the  front.  In 
the  narrow  flower  bed,  under  it,  the  crocuses  and  daffodils 
were  beginning  to  thrust  up  their  blunt,  green  points.     A  walk 


A  PENNSYLVANIA   FARMHOUSE  233 

of  flagstones  separated  thera  from  the  vegetable  garden,  which 
was  bounded  at  the  bottom  by  a  mill  race,  carrying  half  the 
water  of  the  creek  to  a  gristmill  on  the  other  side  of  the  road. 
—  Bayard  Taylor. 

Study  of  the  Description.  —  Notice  that  every  sen- 
tence helps  to  show  how  the  farmhouse  looked. 
Notice  what  words  and  phrases  are  most  important  in 
forming  a  complete  mental  picture  in  each  sentence. 

In  describing  an  object  like  a  house,  public  build- 
ing, monument,  bridge,  park,  or  scene,  we  naturally 
tell  first  where  it  is  situated.  If  the  object  is  not  be- 
fore us,  we  should  try  to  form  an  image  of  it ;  that 
is,  imagine  that  we  are  looking  at  it.  Then  we 
should  mention  the  different  points  in-  the  order  of 
their  importance.  For  example,  in  looking  at  the 
farmhouse  described  above,  a  person  would  first  notice 
its  general  appearance  ;  it  was  built  of  stone.  Upon 
further  observation,  he  would  notice  the  height,  the 
gable,  the  chimney,  the  portico,  and  woodbine.  Then 
he  would  take  in  the  surroundings.  This  is  what  we 
mean  by  giving  the  details  in  the  order  of  their 
importance ;  the  most  important  things  naturally 
attract  our  attention  first. 

In  describing  a  building,  it  is  a  good  plan  to  divide 
the  subject  into  the  following  topics  :  (1)  situation ; 
(2)  general  appearance  ;  (3)  details  ;  (4)  surroundings. 

Exercises.  —  I.  Write  a  description  of  the  house  in 
tlie  picture  on  the  7iext  jjage,  following  the  general  plan 
used  in  the  above  selection. 


234 


LESSONS  m  ENGLISH 


1.  Its  situation,  street  or  road,  distance  from  some  impor- 
tant point. 

2.  General  appearance,  details  of  size,  shape,  color,  material, 
and  the  like. 

3.  Its  surroundings,  lawn,  yard,  garden,  shade  or  fruit  trees. 


II.  Follow  the  smne  general  plan  iii  describing  one 
of  the  following.  Select  something  you  are  familiar 
ivith. 


1.  Your  schoolhouse. 

2.  A  church. 

3.  Any  interesting  house. 

4.  An  iron  foundry. 

5.  A  grain  elevator. 


6.  A  mill. 

7.  The  public  library. 

8.  Some  monument. 

9.  A  sugar  mill. 
10.  A  steamboat. 


NARCISSA  235 

—  209 


NARCISSA 

Description  of  a  Person 
Bead:  — 

It  was  a  pretty  picture  Narcissa  made,  sitting  in  the  door- 
way, leaning  against  the  doorpost.  Her  hair  was  nearly  black, 
with  no  gloss  or  sparkle,  only  a  soft,  dusky  cloudiness.  It 
curled  in  little  rings  about  her  broad,  low  forehead,  and  round 
her  soft  pale  cheeks.  Her  eyes  were  dusky,  too,  but  more  gray 
than  brown,  and  the  only  vivid  color  was  in  the  scarlet  line  of 
her  lips.  There  was  nothing  unhealthy  in  her  clear  pallor,  no 
hint  of  sallowness,  but  a  soft  white  glow.  The  nostrils  of  her 
little  straight  nose  were  cut  high,  which  gave  them  a  look  of 
being  always  slightly  dilated;  this  caused  the  neighbors  to  say 
that  Narcissa  White  was  proud,  though  nobody  knew  what  she 
had  to  be  proud  of.  As  for  her  dress,  it  was  of  blue  jean,  a 
good  deal  faded,  but  all  the  better  for  that ;  and  her  white 
apron,  though  coarse,  was  spotless  and  carefully  starched.  — 
Laura  E.  Richards. 

Shut  your  eyes  and  think  over  what  you  have  read. 
Repeat  as  much  of  the  description  as  you  remember. 

The  first  sentence  gives  the  general  appearance  of 
Narcissa  —  "she  made  a  pretty  picture."  The  writer 
next  mentions  the  details.  What  is  mentioned  in  the 
second  sentence?  in  the  third?  in  the  fourth?  What 
is  said  about  Narcissa's  dress? 

Exercises.  —  T.  Describe  as  ivell  as  you  can  some  per- 
son you  know  or  ivhose  portrait  you  have  seen,  using 
the  following  plan  or  outline:  — 


The  Strawbekry   Girl. 


Reynolds, 


236 


CONJUNCTIONS  23' 

I.  General  appearance,  height,  size,  form,  etc. 
-.   Features  —  face,  complexion,  eyes,  hair. 

3.    Dress  —  details  in  the  order  of  importance. 

II.  Describe  the  picture  on  the  opposite  page, 

210 


CONJUNCTIONS 

Study  these  sentences:  — 

1.  Blanche  and  Irene  are  coming  now. 

2.  Blanche  or  Irene  is  coming  now. 

3.  Blanche  is  not  going  to  school  but  to  church. 

In  the  first  sentence,  ask  Who  are  coming?  Notice 
that  two  nouns,  Blanche,  Irene,  form  the  subject.  The 
little  word  aiid  is  used  to  join  these  two  words  as 
subject  of  the  sentence. 

What  persons  are  spoken  of  in  the  second  sentence? 
Notice  that  the  nouns  Blanche,  Irene  form  the  subject 
of  the  second  sentence.  The  little  word  or  joins  these 
two  words  as  subject  of  the  sentence. 

In  the  third  sentence,  two  groups  of  words,  to  school 
and  to  church,  may  answer  the  question,  Where  is 
Blanche  going  ?  To  bring  them  together  or  connect 
them  in  one  sentence  the  word  hut  is  used. 

Words  that  join  together  or  connect  other  words 
are  called  conjunctions.  And,  or,  hut,  are  conjunc- 
tions. 

Definition.  —  A  conjunction  is  a  word  used  to  connect  words 
or  groups  of  words. 


238  LESSONS  IK  ENGLISH 

Oral  Exercises. — I.    Pick  out  the  conjunctions: — 

1.  He  sells  peanuts  and  candy. 

2.  Books  and  paper  are  provided. 

3.  Millie  or  Willie  may  go. 

4.  Call  the  dog  or  the  cat. 

5.  He  did  not  go  to  the  circus  but  to  the  ball  game. 

6.  He'll  get  hit  if  he  doesn't  look  out. 

II.    Use   the  words  and,   or,  if,  but,  in  these  sen- 
tences :  — 

1.  John  plays sings. 

2.  John  must  study  his  lessons he  will  feel  sorry. 

3.  We  shall  go it  doesn't  rain. 

4.  He  came I  didn't  see  him. 

5.  He  talks  sweetly I  don't  believe  a  word  that  he 

says. 

6.   I  were  you,  I'd  keep  quiet.       ^ 


211 


CONJUNCTIONS  AND   VERBS 

Study: — 

1.  Joseph  aiid  Theodore  are  at  the  door.  ' 

2.  Joseph  or  Theodore  is  at  the  door. 

How  many  persons  does  the  first  sentence  describe 
as  being  at  the  door  ?  How  many  would  you  see  if 
you  opened  the  door  ?  Whom  would  you  see  ?  What 
word  connects  their  names  in  the  sentence?  Each 
name  is  a  singular  noun,  but  the  verb  are  is  used  be- 


CONJUNCTIONS  AND   VERBS 


239 


cause  the  predicate  asserts  something  of  the  two  boys 
together. 

What  is  the  meaning  of  the  second  sentence? 
How  many  persons  would  you  find  at  the  door  if  you 
opened  it?  There  are  two  names  in  the  subject  joined 
by  or,  but  the  verb  is  is  used  because  the  predicate 
asserts  something  of  either  boy  alone,  not  of  both  to- 
gether. 

Oral  Exercises. —  I.  Fill  the  blanks  with  the  proper 
word  —  is,  are;  run,  runs;  was,  were;  has,  have:  — 


John  and  James 
John  or  James  — 
John  or  James  — 


John  and  James 

5.  John  and  James 

6.  John  or  James  - 


John  and  James 
John  or  James  — 


-  here.     (Both.) 
here.     (Which  one?) 
the  book.     (Which  one?) 

-  the  book.     (Both.) 

-  at  school  yesterday.     (Both.) 
absent  last  week.     (Which  one  ?) 

-  a  foot  race.     (Both.) 
ahead.      (Which  one?) 


II.   Fill  the  blanks  ivith  the  proper  word  —  come, 
comes ;  go,  goes  ;  sit,  sits :  — 


1.  John  and  James 

2.  John  or  James  — 

3.  John  or  James  — 

4.  John  and  James 

5.  John  and  James 
John  or  James  - 


Fred  and  Frank 
Fred  or  Frank  - 


Father  and  mother 


—  in  one  seat, 
in  this  seat, 
to-day. 

—  to-day. 

—  to-morrow, 
to-morrow. 

—  after  the  cows, 
after  them. 

to  church  on  Sunday. 


240 


LESSONS  IN  ENGLISH 


212 


INTERJECTIONS 

What  words  in  the  following  sentences  show  strong 
feeling  ? 

Hurrah  !  this  book  is  nearly  done. 
Oh,  don't !  you  will  ruin  your  book. 
Dear  !  dear  !  did  you  ever  see  such  a  boy  ? 
Hello !  is  that  you,  Jack  ? 

Words  like  hurrah,  oh,  dear,  hello,  used  to  show 
sudden  or  stiong  feeling,  are  called  interjections. 

Definition.  —  An  interjection  is  an  exclamatory  word  used  to 
express  sudden  or  strong  feeling. 

Interjections  are  usually  followed 
by  the  exclamation  point. 

Exercises.  —  I.   Find   the  interjec- 
tions in  tills  hit  of  ivord  painting :  — 

At  every  turn  the  maples  burn, 

The  quail  is  whistling  free, 

The  partridge  whirs,  and  the  frosted  burs 

Are  dropping  for  you  and  me. 

Ho!  hilly  ho!  heigh  0! 

Hilly  ho ! 

In  the  clear  October  morning. 

—  E.  C.  Stedman. 

II.    Fill  the  blanks  with  interjec- 
tions :  — 

!  mother  is  coming  back  to-day. 

!  are  you  nearly  ready,  Ned  ? 

!  what  a  shame  that  you  must  go ! 


GOING  A-NUTTING  241 

213 

GOING  A-NUTTING 

Coiyy  the  folloiving  paragraph :  — 

The  grandest  of  all  joy,  the  last  thing  talked  of  before 
sleep,  and  the  first  thing  remembered  in  the  morning,  is 
the  going  out  a-nutting.  Oh  I  the  hunting  of  little  baskets,  the 
irrepressible  glee,  as  bags  and  baskets  come  forth  !  Then  the 
departure,  the  father  or  uncle  climbing  the  tree,  the  shaking 
of  limbs,  the  rattle  of  hundreds  of  chestnuts,  which  squirrels 
shall  never  see  again,  the  eager  picking  up,  the  merry  ohs  !  and 
ouches !  as  nuts  come  plump  down  on  their  bare  heads,  the 
growing  heap,  the  approaching  dinner  by  the  brook,  on  leaves 
yellow  as  gold,  and  in  sunlight  yellower  still,  the  mysterious 
baskets  to  be  opened,  the  cohl  chicken,  the  bread  slices  —  ah 
me!  one  would  love  to  be  twenty  boys,  or  a  boy  twenty  times 
over,  just  to  experience  the  simple,  genuine,  full,  unalloyed 
pleasure  of  children  going  with  father  and  mother  "  a-nutting"! 

Discussion.  —  This  is  a  word  picture  in  prose.  Read 
again  the  word  picture  by  Mr.  Stedman  on  page  240. 
Which  do  you  like  the  better  ?     Why  ? 

Oral  Exercise.  —  Give  a  lively  account  of  some  out- 
door exjjerience. 

Composition.  —  I.  Write  a  paragraph  in  ivhich  you 
state  the  differences  you  have  observed  between  prose 
and  poetry, 

II.  Write  four  lines  of  poetry  about  a  subject  to  be 
chosen  by  yourself  or  your  teacher. 


242  LESSONS  IN  ENGLISH 


214 


A  DEBATE 

Under  the  direction  of  your  teacher,  debate  one  of 
the  questions  giveii  below.  First  talk  over  the  question 
in  class  to  find  out  what  can  be  said  on  each  side. 

1.  Which  is  the  pleasanter  season,  spring  or  autumn? 

2.  Which  study  is  more  useful,  reading  or  arithmetic? 

3.  Where  would  you  prefer  to  live,  in  the  country  or  in 
the  city  ? 

215 

APPLYING  WHAT  YOU  KNOW 

In  lesson  194  find  words  or  sentences  to  illustrate 
the  following :  — 

I.  Kinds  of  sentences. 

1.  Declarative  sentences. 

2.  Exclamatory  sentences. 

3.  Interrogative  sentences. 

4.  Imperative  sentences. 

II.  Use  of  capital  letters. 

5.  Proper  names. 

6.  The  word  /. 

7.  The  beginning  of  a  sentence. 

8.  The  beginning  of  a  direct  quotation. 

III.  Quotations. 

9.  A  question  as  a  quotation. 

10.  An  exclamation  as  a  quotation. 

11.  An  imperative  sentence  as  a  quotation. 

12.  A  divided  quotation 


WORD  BUILDING 

IV.  Use  of  commas. 

13.  In  divided  quotations. 

14.  Before  quotations. 

15.  With  person  addressed. 

16.  In  a  series. 

V.  Use  of  words  in  sentences. 


2-13 


1. 

Nouns. 

6. 

Adverbs. 

2. 

Verbs. 

7. 

Prepositions. 

3. 

Verb-phrases. 

8. 

Conjunctions. 

4. 

Pronouns. 

9. 

Interjections. 

5. 

Adjectives. 

11. 

Clauses. 
-  216 

10. 

Phrases. 

WORD  BUILDING 
The  Use  of  Suffixes 

1.  Form  an  adjective  from  each  of  the  following 
nouns  by  adding  the  suffix  less  =  tvithout,  or  by 
adding  ful  =  full  of,  causing.  In  adding  the  suffix, 
change  final  y  to  i. 

pain  mercy  home  cheer  care 

doubt  dread  child  hope  thought 

2.  Form  an  adjective  from  each  of  these  nouns  by 
adding  the  suffix  y  =  full  of  having,  etc. ;  as,  dusty  = 
full  of  dust ;  wealthy  =  having  wealth  ;  deivy  =  cov- 
ered with  dew. 

In  adding  a  suffix  beginning  with  a  vowel,  final  e  is  usually 
dropped ;  as,  craze,  crazy;  come,  coming. 


244  LESSONS  IN  ENGLISH 

Words  of  one  syllable  ending  in  a.  single  consonant  preceded 
by  a  single  vowel  double  the  final  consonant  in  adding  a  suffix 
beginning  with  a  vowel ;  as,  fog,  foggy. 

smoke  juice  health         ice  grease 

noise  gloss  fog  slop  haste 

3.  Ish  =  someivhat,  relating  to,  like 

blue  sweet  child  rogue  fool 

boy  Spain  wasp  fop  style 

4.  Or,  er,  ar  —  the  joerson  ivJio  does  the  act  denoted 
hy  the  verb;  as,  collector  =  a  person  who  collects  ; 
trader  =  a  person  who  trades. 

act  sail  visit  give  instruct 

learn  conquer       beg  idle  teach 


217 


LA   SALLE 

A  Study  of  the  Parts  of  Speech 

Itead :  — 

La  Salle  came  to  Canada  from  France  in  1666.  He  was  then 
twenty-three  years  old.  The  Indians  told  him  of  the  Ohio  and 
Mississippi  rivers.  La  Salle  believed  that  the  latter  river 
flowed  into  the  Gulf  of  California,  and  that  it  offered  a  road  to 
the  riches  of  India.  He  soon  returned  to  France,  and  there 
obtained  the  men  and  means  which  he  needed  for  his  great 
undertaking. 

After  his  return  he  built  a  small  vessel  which  he  called  the 
Griffon  near  the  Niagara  E-iver,  and  in  the  summer  of  1679  he 
sailed  up  the  Lakes  to  Mackinaw.  He  loaded  the  Griffon  with 
furs  and  sent  her  back  to  Niagara.    The  vessel  never  returned. 


CHARACTER   STUDY  AND  DESCRIPTION  245 

She  may  have  been  lost  in  a  storm,  or  destroyed  by  the  traders, 
but  La  Salle  never  knew  what  happened  to  his  vessel. 

After  many  troubles,  La  Salle  formed  a  party  of  twenty-three 
Frenchmen  and  a  band  of  friendly  Indians  to  explore  the 
great  river.  They  floated  down  the  Illinois  River  and  on  Feb- 
ruary 6,  1682,  entered  the  Mississippi.  For  two  months  they 
followed  the  winding  course  of  the  river.  On  April  6  they 
saw  that  the  river  divided  into  three  broad  channels.  They 
had  reached  the  great  delta,  and  La  Salle  soon  found  himself  at 
the  mouth  of  the  Mississippi  and  looked  out  upon  the  waters  of 
the  Gulf. 

Exercises.  —  I.  See  how  well  you  can  relate  this  ac- 
count of  La  Salle.    What  is  the  topic  of  each  paragraph  f 

II.  Tell  what  part  of  speech  each  word  is  in  the  ac- 
count of  La  Salle, 

218 

CHARACTER  STUDY  AND   DESCRIPTION 
A  Picture  Lesson 

Silent  Study.  —  Study  the  picture  on  the  next 
page.  Has  this  old  woman  lived  a  busy,  useful  life, 
or  an  idle,  useless  one?  Notice  her  bent  form,  her 
face,  her  hands,  her  dress.  Has  she  learned  how  to 
keep  her  mmd  on  the  work  she  is  doing?  What 
kind  of  person  do  you  think  she  is  ? 

Oral  Exercise.  —  Describe  the  sjyinner.  Make  a 
plan  to  guide  you  in  talking. 

Written  Exercise.  —  Wi^ite  a  descrijjtion  of  the  ivhole 
picture.  Speak  of  the  woman  and  her  work,  the  light, 
the  room,  and  your  feeling  about  the  picture. 


The  Spinner. 


246 


LUCY  247 


219 


LUCY 

A  Study  of  Character 

She  dwelt  among  the  untrodden  ways, 

Beside  the  springs  of  Dove, 
A  maid  whom  there  were  none  to  praise 

And  very  few  to  love  : 

A  violet  by  a  mossy  stone 

Half  hidden  from  the  eye ! 
—  Fair  as  a  star  when  only  one 

Is  shining  in  the  sky. 

She  lived  unknown,  and  few  could  know 

When  Lucy  ceased  to  be ; 
But  she  is  in  her  grave,  and,  oh, 

The  difference  to  me ! 

—  William  Wordsworth. 

The  fact  which  gave  rise  to  this  poem  is  very 
commonplace.  A  girl  named  Lucy  lived  a  short,  un- 
eventful life  in  the  country  and  died.  No  one  knows 
what  her  surname  was.  It  is  not  even  known 
whether  she  was  a  real  person  or  not,  but  the  poet 
Wordsworth  has  made  the  name  Lucy  live  forever 
through  this  exquisite  little  word  picture. 

The  first  stanza  makes  you  feel  that  the  common, 
homely  tasks  of  daily  life,  though  they  receive  no 
spoken  word  of  praise,  awaken  and  strengthen  love. 

Can  you  see  the  beauty  of  the  comparisons  in  the 


248  LESSONS  IN  ENGLISH 

second  stanza  ?  The  girl  was  Lucy  this  or  Lucy  that 
to  most  of  the  few  who  knew  her,  but  to  the  one  who 
loved  her,  she  was  a  modest  violet,  a  bright  star. 

Do  you  catch  the  meaning  of  the  last  stanza  ?  It 
teaches  that  it  is  not  the  big,  bustUng  world  that 
counts  for  most  in  our  lives,  but  the  little  home  circle, 
the  heart  circle  of  those  whom  we  love  and  who  love 
us. 

220 

A  COLONIAL   GIRL 

Actions  that  show  Character 

Two  hundred  years  ago,  Mary  Shepperd,  a  girl  of  fifteen, 
was  watching  for  savages  on  the  hills  of  Concord,  while  her 
brothers  thrashed  in  the  barn.  Suddenly  the  Indians  appeared, 
slew  the  brothers,  and  carried  her  away.  In  the  night,  while 
the  savages  slept,  she  untied  a  stolen  horse,  slipped  a  saddle 
from  under  the  head  of  one  of  her  captors,  mounted,  fled, 
swam  the  Nashua  River  and  rode  through  the  forest,  home. 
—  George  W.  Curtis. 

This  story  simply  tells  what  a  girl  did.  Not  a 
single  adjective  is  used  to  characterize  the  girl,  and 
yet  you  have  formed  an  opinion  about  her.  Your 
opinion  is  based  on  the  girl's  actions.  There  is  no 
better  way  to  show  a  person's  disposition  or  character 
than  to  tell  what  the  person  does.  Think  of  as  many 
adjectives  as  you  can  that  would  apply  to  the  girl. 

Exercises.  —  I.  Fi7id  all  the  verbs  in  the  story  about 
"  A  Colonial  Girl!'     Name  the  subject  of  each  verb. 


CLAUSES  249 

II.  Bnng  to  class  a  story,  showing  one  of  thefolloio- 
inrj  :  — 

\.  The  faithfulness  of  a  dog.  2.  The  intelligence  of  an 
elephant.  3.  The  fierceness  of  a  tiger.  4.  The  power  of 
mimicry  in  a  parrot.  5.  The  slyness  of  a  fox.  6.  The  cour- 
age of  a  soldier.     7.    Kindness  to  animals. 

III.  Write  a  composition  on  De  Soto,  the  Conqueror , 
using  this  outline :  — 

1.  The  exploits  of  Cortez,  Pizarro,  and  De  Leon. 

2.  The  effect  of  these  conquests  on  De  Soto  —  his  expedi- 
tion —  the  search  for  gold —  cruelty  to  the  natives. 

3.  Discovery  of  the  Mississippi. 

4.  Death  and  burial  of  De  Soto. 

5.  His  character. 

Word  Study 
To  characterize  means  to  show  traits  of  character. 

221 


CLAUSES 

Study  these  sentences :  — 

1.  The  next  boy  is  Warren  Prescott. 

2.  The  boy  in  the  next  seat  is  Warren  Prescott. 

3.  The  boy  that  sits  in  the  next  seat  is  Warren  Prescott. 

The  same  boy  is  spoken  of  in  each  of  the  above 
sentences.  In  the  first  sentence,  what  word  tells 
which  boy  is  named  ?  What  phrase  tells  the  same 
thing  in  the  second  sentence  ?  In  the  third  sentence, 
the  group  of  words,  that  sits  in  the  next  seat,  tells  the 
same  thing  in  a  different  way. 


250  LESSONS  IN  ENGLISH 

Study  carefully  the  group  of  words,  that  sits  in  the 
next  seat.  It  is,  as  you  see,  a  part  or  division  of  Sen- 
tence 3,  and  yet  it  has  a  subject  t?iat  and  a  predicate 
sits.  A  group  of  words  like  that  sits  in  the  next  seat, 
forming  a  part  or  division  of  a  sentence  and  having  a 
subject  and  predicate  of  its  own,  is  called  a  clause. 

Exercise.  —  I.  Fiiid  the  subject  and  predicate  of 
each  of  the  following  groups  of  ivords.  Use  each 
group  as  a  part  or  division  of  a  sentence  :  — 

That  Jack  built ;  that  lay  in  the  house  ;  that  ate  the  malt ; 
to  whom  we  write  letters ;  from  which  we  read ;  that  I  lost. 

What  is  a  division  of  a  sentence  having  a  subject 
and  predicate  called  ?  What  clauses  have  you  used 
in  this  exercise  ? 

II.  Use  these  clauses  in  sentences :  — 

1.  When  the  wind  blows ;  until  the  bell  rings ;  where  the  ice 
is  smooth;  if  you  whisper. 

2.  That  he  is  coming ;  where  the  fire  is ;  why  the  door 
opened  ;  what  the  boys  were  doing. 

III.  Find  ttvo  clauses  in  each  of  the  folloiving  sen- 
tences. Pick  out  the  subject  and  the  predicate  of  each 
clause. 

1.  This  is  a  good  story  which  we  read  yesterday. 

2.  When  winter  came,  the  pond  was  frozen. 

3.  I  do  not  hear  what  you  say. 

4.  Stand  when  the  bell  rings. 

5.  These  are  the  skates  that  Ned  found. 

6.  The  teacher  teaches  and  the  children  learn. 


INDEPENDENT  AND  DEPENDENT  CLAUSES        251 
222 


INDEPENDENT   AND  DEPENDENT  CLAUSES 

Find  the  clauses  in  each  of  the  following  three  sen- 
tences ;  also  the  subject  and  predicate  of  each  clause :  — 

1.  When  the  dog  barked,  the  burglars  ran  away. 

2.  Patrick  shingled  his  house  because  the  roof  leaked. 

3.  Mr.  Hicks  owns  two  farms  which  are  very  valuable. 

In  the  first  sentence  which  clause  makes  the  main 
statement  ?   Which  shows  when  the  burglars  ran  away  ? 

In  the  second  sentence  which  clause  contains  the 
main  thought  ?  Which  clause  explains  ivhy  Patrick 
shingled  his  house  ? 

In  the  third  sentence  the  main  thought  is  found  in 
the  clause  Mr.  Hicks  owns  ttvo  farms  ;  the  clause 
which  are  very  valuable  is  added  merely  to  tell  us 
something  about  the  farms. 

The  clauses  when  the  dog  barked^  because  the  roof 
leaked,  and  which  are  very  valuable  are  dependent 
clauses,  because  each  merely  explains  or  adds  to  the 
meaning  of  another  clause  in  the  same  sentence. 

The  clauses  the  burglars  ran  away,  Patrick  shingled 
his  house,  and  Mr,  Hicks  owns  tioo  farms  are  indepen- 
dent clauses,  because  they  are  not  used  to  explain  or 
add  to  the  meaning  of  another  clause. 

Exercise.  —  Find  the  clauses  in  the  following  sen- 
tences. Tell  whether  each  clause  is  independent  or 
dependent.  Remember  that  if  the  clause  simply  ex- 
plains another  clause,  it  is  dependent. 


252  LESSONS  IN  ENGLISH 

1.  Francis  waved  his  hand  when  he  saw  us. 

2.  After  the  shower  was  over,  we  finished  the  game. 

3.  John  remained  in  school  until  he  was  sixteen. 

4.  We  have  a  new  pupil,  whose  name  is  Ruth  Gates. 

5.  I  will  come  next  week,  if  I  have  time. 

6.  Frank  has  gone  to  his  father,  who  is  now  in  Richmond. 

7.  Margaret  will  fail,  unless  she  is  more  studious. 

8.  Since  Michael  asks  it,  I  will  consent. 

9.  As  Fred  entered  the  room,  everybody  smiled. 

10.  Lucy  has  not  been  in  school  since  she  was  ill. 

11.  People  who   live   in   glass   houses    should   not    throw 
stones. 

12.  We  walked  to  Wakefield,  where  David  is  working. 

13.  Although  the  night  is  dark,  morning  will  surely  come. 

14.  We  passed  an. orchard  where  two  men  were  gathering 
apples. 

15.  When  Washington  was  a  boy,  there  were  no  large  towns 
in  Virginia. 


223 


SIMPLE,   COMPOUND,    AND   COMPLEX  SENTENCES 

Notice  the  form  of  these  sentences  :  — 

1.  The  wild  geese  flew  southward. 

2.  Autumn  came,  and  the  wild  geese  flew  southward. 

3.  When  autumn  came,  the  wild  geese  flew  southward. 

What   is    the   subject   of   the   first  sentence?   the 
predicate  ? 

A  sentence  that  contains  only  one  subject  and  one  predicate 
is  a  simple  sentence. 


SIMPLE,   COMPOUND,   AND   COMPLEX  SENTENCES       253 

How  many  clauses  does  the  second  sentence  con- 
tain ?  Are  the  clauses  independent  or  dependent  ? 
Why? 

A  sentence  that  contains  two  or  more  independent  clauses  is 
a  compound  sentence. 

Find  the  clauses  in  the  third  sentence.  What  kind 
of  clause  is  each  ?  Why  ?  Which  clause  contains 
the  main  thought?  Which  clause  tells  ivhenthe  wild 
geese  flew  southward. 

A  sentence  that  contains  one  independent  clause  and  one  or 
more  dependent  clauses  is  a  complex  sentence. 

Exercise.  —  Study  the  foUoiving  sentences  until  you 
can  tell  ivhether  each  is  a  simple,  a  compound,  or  a 
complex  sentence :  — 

1.  The  green  field  sleeps  iji  the  sun. 

2.  Hiawatha  waited  until  the  deer  came. 

3.  He  aimed  an  arrow,  but  the  deer  started. 

4.  All  the  village  feasted  and  the  guests  praised  Hiawatha. 

5.  The  milkweed  has  spun  its  silk. 

6.  The  apple  trees  bend  down  because  they  are  loaded  with 
fruit. 

7.  The  sun  had  set,  but  the  new  moon  was  shining. 

8.  The  days  are  cold  ;  the  nights  are  long. 

9.  I  came  from  a  land  where  the  snow  lies  deep. 

10.  At  noon  the  roads  all  flutter 
With  yellow  butterflies. 

11.  Who  has  seen  the  wind  ? 

12.  We  knew  it  would  rain  because  there  was  a  ring  around 
the  moon. 


254  LESSONS  IN  ENGLISH 

13.  Old  Dolly  had  a  sore  shoulder,  and  father  sent  Billy- 
over  to  Mr.  King's  to  borrow  a  horse. 

14.  I  heard  the  hum  of  bullets  as  they  passed  over  the  low 
trees. 

15.  George  Washington  was  a  strong,  active  boy,  fond  of 
outdoor  sports. 

224 

COMBINING   SENTENCES 

Combine  the  following  pairs  of  sentences  by  means 
of  the  conjunctions  if,  because,  although,  or  while. 

Notice  that  each  new  sentence  has  two  clauses,  one 
independent  and  one  dependent,  and  is  therefore 
complex.  Notice  also  that  the  dependent  clause 
often  comes  first. 

1.  I  will  help  the  man.     He  deserves  it. 

2.  Mary  came  up.     We  were  talking  about  her. 

3.  I  admire  Mr.  Brown.     He  is  my  enemy. 

4.  I  came.     You  sent  for  me, 

5.  Evelyn  will  come  to  school.     She  is  able. 

6.  He  knows  he  is  wrong.     He  will  not  admit  it. 

7.  The  man  is  rich.     He  is  unhappy. 

8.  The  Mexican  War  came  on.     Polk  was  President. 

9.  I  shall  come  to-morrow.     You  send  for  me. 

10.  You  wish  to  be  believed.     You  must  tell  the  truth. 

11.  The  dog  bites.     He  ought  to  be  muzzled. 

12.  It  would  be  foolish  to  set  out.     It  is  raining. 

13.  Call  at  my  office.     You  happen  to  be  in  town. 

14.  The  cat  ran  up  a  tree.     She  was  chased  by  a  dog. 

15.  The  sun  shines  brightly.     It  is  very  cold. 

16.  Boston  became  a  large  city.     It  has  a  good  harbor. 


EXERCISES  IN  PARAGRAPH    WRITING 


2bb 


225 

EXERCISES  IX   PARAGRAPH   WRITING 

Choose  one  of  the  following  topics  for  a  short  talk 
before  the  class  :  — 

I.   A  Spelling  Match. 

1.  Who  were  the  parties  ? 

2.  Leaders. 

3.  Words  —  incidents. 

4.  Grows  exciting  —  narrows  down  to.  five  —  to  two !    How 
does  it  end  ? 

5.  The  winner. 


II.    With  the  Grocer  from  5  to  7.30  a.m. 

1.  Opening  the  store. 

2.  New  goods. 

3.  Early  customers. 

4.  A  hurried  breakfast  —  off  to  school. 


256  LESSONS  IN  ENGLISH 

III.    Waiting  for  a  Train. 

1.  Delay. 

2.  Other  patient  waiters  —  who  they  are  —  what  they  do, 

3.  False  alarm  —  freight  train  rumbles  by. 

4.  Welcome  signal. 

5.  Arrival  of  friends. 

lY.    A  School  Garden. 

1.  How  we  came  to  have  a  garden. 

2.  Choosing  the  spot ;  size,  soil,  situation. 

3.  Preparation  of  the  soil  —  give  details. 

4.  Planting  ;  kinds  of  seeds,  how  obtained. 

5.  Care  of  the  garden ;  work  and  play ;  animal  friends  or 
enemies. 

6.  Kesults ;  with  whom  did  you  share  the  fruits  of  your  labor  ? 

v.    The  Nearest  Way  to . 

Let  the  class  give  the  name  of  a  well-known  place, 
and  then  tell  in  the  fewest  possible  words,  but  clearly, 
how  to  get  to  it. 

VI.  The  Big  Dipper. 

1.  How  many  stars  in  it  ? 

2.  Where  do  you  find  it  ? 

3.  How  do  you  use  the  pointers  to  find  the  North  Star? 

VII.  A  Drop  in  the  Bucket. 

1.  Ocean.  3.   Eain. 

2.  Sky  trip.  4.    Underground  trip. 

5.   The  well  and  the  bucket. 

Written  Exercise.  —  Write  a  composition  on  one  or 
more  of  the  above  tojncs,  as  your  teacher  directs. 


EXPLAINING 


257 


226 

THE  STUDY  OF   A  PICTURE 

Think  of  questions  to  ask  about :  — 

The  name  of  the  picture  ;  the  people  in  the  boat ;  the  boat* 
in  the  foreground  ;  the  sea  ;  the  ships  in  the  background ;  the 
time  of  the  year ;  the  colors  in  the  real  scene.  , 

With  your  teacher'* s  help  prepare  a  plan  to  guide  you 
in  ivriting  a  description  of  this  picture.  Write  the 
description. 


The  Fishkuman's   D.vughteu. 

227 


EXPLAINING 

Explain  one  or  more  of  the  folloioing.  Imagine 
that  you  are  trying  to  make  the  matter  plain  to  some 
one  ivho  does  not  understand. 


258  LESSONS  IN  ENGLISH 

1.  How  a  game  of  marbles  is  played. 

2.  How  to  make  and  fly  a  kite. 

3.  How  you  learned  to  swim. 

4.  How  to  care  for  a  horse. 

5.  How  to  keep  rabbits. 

6.  How  to  care  for  a  canary. 

7.  How  to  raise  pigeons. 

8.  How  to  patch  a  garment. 

9.  Why  girls  should  study  cooking. 
10.  Why  English  is  a  useful  study. 

228 


LEADING  INDUSTRIES   OF   NEW  ENGLAND 

Exercise  in  Paragraphing 

There  are  so  many  hills  and  mountains  in  New  England, 
and  the  soil  is  often  so  thin  and  stony,  that  the  farms  are 
usually  small,  supplying  only  vegetables,  milk,  butter,  and 
other  products  to  be  used  in  the  cities  near  by.  Some  of  them, 
far  from  the  cities,  have  been  abandoned  because  the  land  is 
so  hilly  and  the  soil  so  poor.  Since  many  of  the  hills  and 
mountains  are  still  covered  with  forests,  much  lumber  is 
obtained  from  them,  especially  from  the  mountainous  part 
of  northern  Maine.  During  the  spring  freshets,  when  the 
winter  snows  are  melting,  the  logs  are  floated  downstream, 
often  to  a  place  where  ocean  steamers  can  reach  them.  Here 
they  are  sawed  into  lumber  and  loaded  upon  vessels  to  be 
carried  in  all  directions.  But  we  have  not  yet  spoken  of  the 
most  important  occupation  of  the  New  England  people.  The 
short  rivers,  having  their  sources  in  the  uplands,  flow  with 
swift  course  to  the  sea,  and  are  often  interrupted  by  rapids 
and  falls.  In  one  way  this  is  a  disadvantage,  because  vessels 
cannot  go  far  upstream ;  but  in  another   way,  it  is    a  great 


STORIES  TO  BE  TOLD  259 

advantage,  because  streams  with  swift  currents  and  waterfalls 
furnish  the  best  water  power.  This  makes  it  clear  why  the 
chief  industry  of  New  England  is  manufacturing.  Manufac- 
turing helps  to  create  another  industry,  commerce,  because 
the  manufactured  articles  must  be  shipped  to  all  parts  of  the 
United  States,  and  even  to  other  countries.  Not  only  do  the 
persons  living  in  the  interior  produce  great  quantities  of  goods 
to  be  shipped  away,  but  they  require  others  to  be  shipped  in. 
Much  of  their  food  and  also  cotton,  wool,  and  hides  must  be 
brought  to  them.  The  amount  of  shipping  is  therefore  very 
great,  and  this  is  one  of  the  chief  reasons  why  Boston,  Port- 
land, and  Providence  have  become  large  commercial  cities. 

Exercise.  — Divide  the  above  exercise  into  four  para- 
(jraplis.  Make  a  j^lan  or  outline  hy  writing  down  in 
order  the  tojnc  of  each  2>ciragraph. 


229 


STORIES  TO  BE  TOLD     ' 

I.   A  Dangerous  Voyage 

1.  Warm  day  in  early  spring  —  ice  along  shores  of  creek 
—  boys  on  ice  playing  with  long  poles. 

2.  Ice,  bearing  the  boys,  breaks  off  from  shore  —  swings 
into  current  —  floats  slowly  downstream  —  boys  laughing. 

3.  Creek  becomes  narrow,  current  grows  faster  —  cries  of 
boys — -under  bridges  —  people  on  bridge  —  poles  caught  — 
boys,  frightened  and  cold,  but  safe. 

Tell  the  story  suggested  hy  the  outline.  Arrange 
your  sentences  in  three  paragraphs. 


260  LESSONS  IN  ENGLISH 

II.   A  Serious  Mishap 

1.  Fred's  new  sailboat  —  two  jolly  boys  —  a  light  wind  — 
a  fair  sky  —  a  fine  start. 

2.  Clouds  gather  —  squall  —  sail  torn  —  boat  overturned  — 
boys  in  water  —  swim  to  boat. 

3.  Boys  cling  to  sides  of-  boat,  shout  —  boys  rescued  — tow- 
ing the  boat  home  —  how  different  the  return  ! 

Tell  the  story  suggested  by  the  outline.  See  each 
point  clearly  in  your  own  7nind  before  you  begin  to  tell 
about  it. 

III.  Keeping  Store 

Old  John  Perkins  kept  a  second-hand  furniture  store  in 
a  poor  street  of  New  York.  Business  was  dull  and  John  had 
bills  to  meet.  He  found  it  hard  enough  to  get  money  to  sup- 
port his  family  when  he  was  able  to  be  about  the  shabby  store 
and  wait  on  the  few  customers  that  drifted  in.  One  day  the 
old  dealer  was  taken  ill  and  found  it  impossible  to  take  his 
accustomed  place.  Having  no  one  else  to  help  him,  he  asked 
his  little  daughter  to  stay  in  the  store.  ^^  There  will  not  be 
much  to  do,"  he  said  sadly  ;  "  no  customer  is  likely  to  come." 

Desci'ibe  the  coining  of  a  customer,  the  conversation, 
and  how  the  girl  succeeds  in  selling  hhn  some  article. 

230 

TRAIXIXG   THE   MEMORY 

Read  the  following  through  once  only  :  — 

Lord  Macaulay  was  a  great  master  of  English.  By  that 
we  mean  that  he  could  express  his  thoughts  in  language  that 


EXERCISES  IN  COMPOSITION  261 

was  interesting  and  beautiful.  In  telling  some  one  about  his 
boyhood,  he  said :  "  When  a  boy,  I  began  to  read  very  ear- 
nestly, but  at  the  foot  of  every  page  I  stopped,  and  obliged 
myself  to  give  an  account  of  what  I  had  read  on  that  page. 
At  first  I  had  to  read  it  three  or  four  times  before  I  got  my 
mind  firmly  fixed  ;  but  now,  after  I  have  read  a  book  through 
once,  I  can  almost  recite  it  from  beginning  to  end." 

Without  reading  this  selection  a  second  time,  try 
to  tell :  who  Macaulaj  was  ;  how  he  expressed  his 
thoughts  ;  how  he  trained  himself  in  reading ;  what 
the  result  was. 

Bead  the  selection  again.  Notice  how  accurately 
you  remembered  what  is  said  in  it.  Is  Macaulay's 
example  worth  following?  How  many  times  must 
you  read  a  story  before  you  can  remember  it  ? 

Macaulay  wrote  some  stirring  ballads,  called  '^  Lays 
of  Ancient  Kome."  Do  you  know  any  of  them  ?  If 
so,  tell  the  story. 

Written  Exercises I.    Write  from  dictation  what 

Macaulay  said. 

II.    Write  the  story  again  from  memory. 

231 


EXERCISES   IN  COMPOSITION 

Arbor  Day 

1.  How  Suggested.  —  J.  Sterling  Morton  of  Nebraska.    What 
he  hoped  to  accomplish  through  it. 

2.  Date  of  Celebration.  —  What  was  or  will  be  done  in  your 
school  this  year  ? 


262  LESSONS  IN  ENGLISH 

3.  Results.  —  What  is  there  to  show  that  the  work  of  other 
years  has  accomplished  something  ? 

4.  /Suggestions.  —  What  can  yoii  think  of  that  would  add 
to  the  pleasure  or  the  profit  of  the  day  ? 

Wiite  four  paragraphs  as  outlined  above.  Make 
similar  outlines  for  Flag  Day,  Bird  Day,  Memorial 
Day,  Labor  Day,  or  other  interesting  days. 

232 


THE   WEATHER  BUREAU 

Conversation What  is  it  ?     Who  are  its  officers  ? 

What  do  they  do  ?  Who  benefits  by  their  work  ? 
Who  pays  them  ?  Where  does  the  money  come 
from  ? 

Can  you  find  a  forecast  for  to-day  ?  Where  ? 
What  is  it  ?  Explain  a  weather  map.  Explain  some 
of  the  signals  used  by  the  Weather  Bureau. 

233 


WORK   AND  THE   WORKMAN 

I.    Cop>y  into  your  notebook  and  discuss  the  follow- 
ing lines  from  "The  Village  Blacksyaith^' :  — 

Toiling,  rejoicing,  sorrowing, 

Onward  through  life  he  goes ; 
Each  morning  sees  some  task  begun, 

Each  evening  sees  it  close ; 
Something  attempted,  something  done, 

Has  earned  a  night's  repose. 


WORK  AND   THE   WORKMAN  263 

Thanks,  thanks  to  thee,  my  wortliy  friend, 

For  the  lesson  thou  hast  taught ! 
Thus  at  the  flaming  forge  of  life 

Our  fortunes  must  be  wrought ; 
Thus  on  its  sounding  anvil  shaped 

Each  burning  deed  and  thought ! 

—  Henry  Wadswokth  Longfellow. 

II.  From  the  outlines  given  below  select  that  which 
touches  your  personal  experience  most  intimately, 
either  in  what  you  see  about  you  or  in  your  studies. 
Use  the  outline  as  the  groundwork  for  a  series  of 
oral  conversations  and  exercises  in  writing  para- 
graphs or  longer  compositions. 

Add  interest  to  these  exercises  by  the  use  of  draw- 
ings, pictures,  specimens,  plans,  or  diagrams,  with 
narratives  of  personal  visits. 

I.  Agriculture:  the  foundation  occupation  —  importance  in 
our  life  and  in  history  —  influenced  by  soil,  climate,  drainage, 
near-by  markets,  good  roads  —  its  results  as  food,  clothing,  etc. 

II.  Grazing:  makes  profitable  lands  not  adapted  to  agricul- 
ture because  of  poorer  soil,  hills,  scanty  rainfall,  distance  from 
market  —  usefulness  to  man — grazing  regions  in  our  own  coun- 
try—  in  other  countries  —  sheep  and  shepherd,  flocks  and  herds 
in  literature  and  art. 

III.  Lumbering:  past  and  present  of  forests  —  the  work  and 
the  workmen  —  where  and  how  carried  on  —  preservation. 

IV.  Fishing :  as  an  occupation,  ocean,  bay,  lake;  as  a  pastime 
—  cod,  seal,  salmon  as  things  for  nations  to  consider. 

V.  Mining:  what  is  a  mine?  What  is  mined?  Why? 
How?     Dangers  and  discomforts  of  miner's  life  —  his  contri- 


264  LESSONS  IN  ENGLISH 

bution  to  the  world's  work  —  what  the  world  owes  to  him  in 
wages  —  in  safety  devices — in  preventing  child  labor  —  the 
story  of  a  lump  of  coal  —  origin,  how  obtained  —  how  used — 
results  of  its  use. 

VI.  Manufacture:  what  is  meant  by  raw  material  —  power 
—  product  — market  —  how  each  of  these  affects  the  location  of 
factories  and  the  method  of  manufacture. 

Detailed  stories  of :  — 

(a)  a  bit  of  molasses  candy,  of  a  grain  of  rice,  of  an  orange 
seed,  of  a  spool  of  linen  thread. 

(b)  a  seal  muff,  a  fishbone. 

(c)  a  block  in  the  Washington  Monument. 

(d)  a  steel  rail. 

234 


A   POET'S   CALL 

In  the  foregoing  lessons  you  have  studied  with 
your  teacher  many  selections  from  the  best  poems  in 
the  English  language.  It  is  hoped  that  thereby  you 
have  seen  how  lofty  feelings  may  be  expressed  in 
language  that  is  beautiful  and  yet  so  simple  that 
children  can  understand  it. 

If  you  have  committed  any  of  these  selections 
to  memory,  you  have  "  made  for  yourself  nests  of 
pleasant  thoughts,  of  beautiful  thoughts,  proof  against 
all  adversity,"  as  Mr.  Ruskin  says.  Try  in  your 
own  speaking  and  writing  to  adorn  your  language 
by  using  what  you  have  learned  from  the  poets. 

There  is,  however,  another  mission  or  calling  which 


A   POET'S   CALL  265 

the  poet  has  besides  making  his  readers  delight  in 
beauty  of  expression:  it  is  to  arouse  in  them  the 
desire  to  do  noble  deeds,  to  live  pure  and  useful 
lives.  This,  of  course,  is  worth  much  more  than 
beauty-of  expression,  desirable  as  that  is.  Do  you 
think  that  Mr.  Longfellow  had  such  a  purpose  in 
mind  when  he  penned  the  lines  which  are  printed 
below  ?  They  are  the  concluding  stanzas  of  a  poem 
whose  title  is  ^'  A  Psalm  of  Life."  It  is  one  of  the 
best-loved   of   Mr.  Longfellow's  poems. 

Some  day  you  will  learn  the  entire  poem.  Learn 
now  and  live  the  part  of  it  that  has  been  printed  in 
this  book  and  has  been  named  "  A  Poet's  Call." 
What  poet  ?     A  call  to  wliom  ?     A  call  for  what  ? 

Lives  of  great  men  all  remind  us 
Vie  can  make  our  lives  sublime, 

And,  departing,  leave  behind  us 
Footprints  on  the  sands  of  time ; 

Footprints  that  perhaps  another, 

Sailing  o'er  life's  solemn  main, 
A  forlorn  and  shipwrecked  brother. 

Seeing,  shall  take  heart  again. 

Let  us  then  be  up  and  doing. 

With  a  heart  for  any  fate ; 
Still  achieving,  still  pursuing. 

Learn  to  labor  and  to  Avait. 

—  Henky  W.  Longfellow 


266  LESSONS  IN  ENGLISH 

235 

SUMMARY 
Study  Plan  for  Stories 

1.  Read  the  story  through,  aloud  if  possible,  to  get  the  story. 

2.  Describe  what  kind  of  story  it  is,  and  try  to  see  why  the 
author  wrote  it. 

3.  Picture  the  place  and  time  in  which  the  story  is  laid. 

4.  Pick  out  the  most  important  incidents  in  proper  order. 

5.  Study  the  characters. 

6.  Master  the  meaning  of  new  words. 

7.  Reproduce  the  story  orally,  in  writing,  in  action. 

8.  Memorize   beautiful   bits   of    narration,   description,    or 
characterization. 

9.  Tell  what  you  like  best  in  the  story. 

Study  Plan  for  Poems 

1.  Listen  to  the  poem,  or  read  it  aloud  yourself. 

2.  Try  to  see  and  enjoy  in  it  what  the  author  wants  you  to 
see  and  enjoy. 

3.  Notice  the  music. 

4.  See  the  pictures. 

5.  Pick  out  the  lines  you  like  best  and  memorize  them,  if 
you  do  not  learn  the  whole  poem  by  heart. 

6.  Be  sure  to  master  the  meaning  of  the  expressions  used. 
Pick  out  those  of  greatest  beauty. 

The  Parts  of  Speech 

A  noun  is  a  word  used  as  the  name  of  a  person,  place,  or 
thing ;  as,  Penn  founded  Pliiladelpliia. 

A  verb  is  a  word  used  to  tell  or  assert  something  about  some 


SUMMARV  207 

person,  place,  or  thing;  as,  Eli  Whitney  invented  the  cotton 
gin. 

A  pronoun  is  a  word  used  instead  of  a  noun ;  as,  Lizzie  has 
mended  her  dress. 

An  adjective  is  a  word  used  to  modify  the  meaning  of  a  noun 
or  a  pronoun ;  as,  Southern  forests  produce  valuable  timber. 

An  adverb  is  a  word  used  to  modify  the  meaning  of  a  verb, 
an  adjective,  or  another  adverb;  as,  The  train  moved  very 
rapidly. 

A  preposition  is  a  word  used  with  a  noun  or  pronoun  to 
show  its  relation  to  some  other  word  or  words  in  the  sentence ; 
as,  Albert  has  gone  to  the  store. 

A  conjunction  is  a  word  used  to  connect  words  or  groups  of 
words;  as.  Coal  and  iron  are  useful  products.  Amos  was  late, 
but  he  had  an  excuse. 

An  interjection  is  an  exclamatory  word  used  to  express 
sudden  or  strong  feeling;   as,  Hush!   I  hear  footsteps. 

Sentence  Structure 

A  modifier  is  a  word  or  group  of  words  that  makes  the 
meaning  of  another  w^ord  more  definite;  as,  The  best  cotton 
grows  on  low  land. 

A  complement  is  the  word  or  words  needed  to  complete  the 
meaning  of  certain  verbs ;  as,  The  day  was  cold. 

The  simple  subject  of  a  sentence  is  usually  a  noun  or  pro- 
noun ;  as.  Three  happy  children  were  playing  on  the  grass. 

The  complete  subject  is  the  simple  subject  with  its  modifiers ; 
as.  Three  happy  children  were  playing  on  the  grass. 

The  simple  predicate  is  a  verb  or  verb-phrase;  as,  Three 
happy  children  were  j)laying  on  the  grass. 

The  complete  predicate  is  the  simple  predicate  with  its  modi- 


268  LESSONS  IN  ENGLISH 

fiers  and  complements  ;  as,  Three  happy  children  were  playing 
on  the  grass. 

A  phrase  is  a  group  of  related  words  having  neither  subject 
nor  predicate  ;  as,  Hear  the  shouts  of  the  children. 

A  clause  is  a  division  of  a  sentence  having  a  subject  and  a 
predicate ;  as,  Some  remained  and  others  went  away. 

A  dependent  clause  is  a  clause  that  merely  explains  or  adds 
to  the  meaning  of  another  clause  in  the  same  sentence;  as. 
When  I  see  George,  I  will  tell  him. 

An  independent  clause  is  a  clause  that  is  not  used  to  explain 
or  add  to  the  meaning  of  another  clause;  as,  When  I  see 
George,  /  will  tell  him. 

A  simple  sentence  is  a  sentence  that  contains  only  one  sub- 
ject and  one  predicate ;  as.  The  day  was  very  stormy. 

A  compound  sentence  is  a  sentence  that  contains  two  or 
more  independent  clauses;  as.  The  piper  advanced  and  the 
children  followed. 

A  complex  sentence  is  a  sentence  that  contains  one  independ- 
ent and  one  or  more  dependent  clauses  ;  as,  AVhen  I  see  George, 
I  will  tell  him. 


APPENDIX 

A.    THE  LAND  OF   STORY  BOOKS 

To  THE  Teacher.  —  "  Whether  the  book  is  alive  with  genius  or  dead 
with  lack  of  it,  whether  brilliant  or  commonplace,  whether  skill  or  clum- 
siness appears  in  its  construction,  are  not  the  first  questions  to  be  asked. 
The  prior  question  is  this  :  Does  the  book  leave  any  kind  of  fine  and 
icholesome  feeling  in  the  mind  of  one  xoho  reads  it  ?  This  question  touches 
the  whole  quality  of  the  work  as  one  of  true  literature.  .  .  .  Some  books 
that  we  read  will  make  us  feel  that  we  are  lifted  as  on  wings  ;  some  will 
make  music  within  us  ;  some  will  give  us  visions ;  some  will  just  fill  us 
with  a  happy  content."  — J.  N.  Launed. 


I.   Books  that  Fifth  and  Sixth  Grades  Enjoy : 


Tanglewood  Tales 

King  of  the  Golden  River    . 

Water  Babies 

The  New  World  Fairy  Book 

The  Light  Princess 

Gidliver^s  Travels 

Robinson  Crusoe 

Lobo,  Rag,  and  Vixen 

Jungle  Book 

Things  will  take  a  Turn 

Ten  Boys  on  the  Road  from  Long  Ago 

Merry  Adventures  of  Robin  Hood 

Ten  Great  Events  in  History 

Heidi 

Jackanapes  ..... 

Little  Lame  Prince      .... 

269 


Nathaniel  Hawthorne. 
John  Ruskin. 
Charles  Kingsley. 
Howard  A.  Kennedy. 
George  Macdonald. 
Jonathan  Swift. 
Daniel  Defoe. 
E.  Thompson  Seton. 
Rudyard  Kipling. 
Beatrice  Harraden. 
Jane  Andrews. 
Howard  Pyle. 
James  Johonnot. 
Johanna  Spyri. 
J.  H.  Ewing. 
D.  Mnlock  Craik. 


270 


LESSONS  IN  ENGLISH 


Boys  of  Other  Countries 

Toinette^s  Pliilip 

Little  Smoke 

Little  Jarvis 

Decatur  and  Somers 

Story  of  a  Bad  Boy 

Betty  Leicester 

Jack  Hall    . 

Birds'  Christmas  Carol 

Kristy^s  Queer  Christmas 

Christmas  Every  Day,  arid  Other  Stories 

Carrots 

Little  Women 

IJttle  Men  . 

Dandelion  Cottage 

Nights  with  Uncle  Remus 

Little  Mr.  Thbnblejinger  and  his  Queer 

Country   . 
Hans  BrinJcer 
Land  of  Pluck 
Beautiful  Joe 
Twilight  Jjand 
Story  of  the  Rhinegold 

II,   Books  for  those  who  Read  Well 

Little  Lord  Fauntleroy 

Prince  and  Pauper 

When  1 2/jas  your  Age  . 

Tommy-Anne  and  the  Three  Hearts 

Wild  Neighbors    .         .         . 

Swiss  Family  Robinson 

Black  Beauty        .... 

Wonder  Book  of  Horses 

Story  of  Roland   .... 


Bayard  Taylor. 
Mrs.  C.  V.  Jamison. 
W.  0.  Stoddard. 
M.  E.  Seawell. 
M.  E.  Seawell. 
T.  B.  Aldrich. 
S.  0.  Jewett. 
Robert  Grant. 
K.  D.  Wiggin. 
Olive  Thorne  Miller. 
W.  D.  Howells. 
Mrs.  M.  L.  Molesworth. 
Louisa  M.  Alcott. 
Louisa  M.  Alcott. 
Carroll  Watson  Eankin. 
Joel  Chandler  Harris. 

Joel  Chandler  Harris. 
Mary  Mapes  Dodge. 
jVlary  Mapes  Dodge. 
Marshall  Saunders. 
Howard  Pyle. 
Anna  Alice  Chapin. 


Frances  Hodgson 

Burnett. 
Mark  Twain. 
Laura  E.  Eichards. 
M.  0.  Wright. 
Ernest  Ingersoll. 
J.  R.  Wyss. 
Anna  Sewall. 
James  Baldwin. 
James  Baldwin. 


APPENDIX 


271 


Story  of  Siegfried 

Norse  Stories  retold  from  the  Eddas 

Heroes  of  Asgard 

In  the  Days  of  Giants  . 

Book  of  Saints  and  Friendly  Beasts 

TJie  Boy's  Odyssey 

Knights  of  the  Round  Table  . 

Tales  of  King  Arthur   . 


III.    Stories  in  Verse :  — 

TJie  Walrus  and  the  Cai^ent 

Farmer  John 

A  Night  idth  a  Wolf     . 

TJie  Battle  of  Blenheim 

The  Inchcape  Rock 

Casablanca    . 

TJie  Wreck  of  the  Hesperus 

TJie  Skeleton  in  Armor . 

Paul  Revere' s  Ride 

TJie  Bell  of  Atn    . 

Excelsior 

TJie  Sands  of  Dee 

The  Pied  Piper  of  Hamelin 

TJie  Erl-King 

In  ScJiool  Days 

We  are  Seven 

Lucy  Gray   . 

Lord  Lovel  . 

Kaiserblum£n 

TJie  Song  of  Hiaw'atJia 

TJie  Birds  of  KillingwortJi 

TJie  Barefoot  Boy 

Hovj  TJiey  BrougJit  tJie  Good 

Horatius  at  the  Bridge 

BisJiop  Hatto 


er 


News 


James  Baldwin. 
Hamilton  W.  Mabie. 
A.  C.  and  E.  Keary. 
Abbie  Farwell  Brown. 
Abbie  Farwell  Brown. 
W.  C.  Perry. 
W.  H.  Frost. 
E.  V.  Farrington. 


Lewis  Carroll. 
John  T.  Trowbridge. 
Bayard  Taylor. 
Kobert  Southey. 
Eobert  Southey. 
Felicia  Hemans. 
H.  W.  Longfellow. 
H.  W.  Longfellow. 
H.  W.  Longfellow. 
H.  W.  Longfellow. 
H.  W.  Longfellow. 
Charles  Kingsley. 
Robert  Browning. 
Goethe. 

John  G.  Whittier. 
William  AVordsworth. 
William  Wordsworth. 
Old  Ballad. 
Celia  Thaxter. 
H.  W.  Longfellow. 
H.  W.  Longfellow. 
J.  G.  Whittier. 
Robert  Browning. 
T.  B.  Macaulay. 
Robert  Southey. 


272  LESSONS  IN  ENGLISH 

B.    REVIEW  OF   RULES  FOR  CAPITAL  LETTERS 

Begin  with  a  capital  letter  :  — 

1.  The  first  word  of  every  sentence. 

2.  The  first  word  of  every  line  of  poetry. 

3.  The  first  word  of  every  direct  quotation. 

4.  Proper  nouns  and  adjectives  made  from  them ;  as,  Jack 
Frost,  American. 

Note.  —  The  words  street,  river,  mountain,  etc.,  when  joined  to  proper 
nouns,  usually  begin  with  capitals  ;  as,  Franklin  Street,  the  Hudson  River, 
the  Rocky  Mountains.  But  there  is  also  authority  for  writing  these  words 
without  capitals  ;  as,  Franklin  street,  the  Hudson  river. 

5.  Names  of  the  days  of  the  week  and  the  months  of  the 
year,  but  not  of  the  seasons ;  as,  Monday,  August,  spring. 

6.  Names  of  the  Deity  ;  as,  God. 

7.  Titles  of  honor  or  office  when  used  with  a  proper  name ; 
as.  General  Jackson,  Mr.  Rockwell. 

8.  Important  words  in  the  title  of  a  book  or  composition ; 
as.  Sham  Battles  and  a  Real  Battle. 

9.  The  words  north,  south,  east,  and  west  when  denoting 
parts  of  the  country,  but  not  when  denoting  direction;  as.  Cotton 
grows  in  the  South ;  Boston  is  east  of  Buffalo. 

10.  The  names  of  holidays  ;  as,  Thanksgiving. 

11.  The  pronoun  /and  the  interjection  0  are  always  capitals. 

C.    REVIEW  OF  PUNCTUATION 
I.    A  period  is  used :  — 

1.  At  the  end  of  a  declarative  or  an  imperative  sentence. 

2.  After  an  abbreviation  ;  as,  Mr.,  S.C.,  Co. 

3.  After  an  initial ;  as,  R,  L.  Stevenson. 

II.  An  interrogation  point  is  used  at  the  end  of  an  interroga- 
tive sentence. 


APPENDIX  273 

III.  An  exclamation  point  is  used  :  — 

1.  At  the  end  of  an  exclamatory  sentence. 

2.  After  a  word  or  words  expressing  strong  feeling. 

IV.  The  comma.  —  The  following  words  and  groups  of  words 
are  usually  separated  from  the  rest  of  the  sentence  by  a  comma 
or  commas :  — 

1.  The  name  of  a  person  addressed ;  as,  Sister,  Jack  is  here. 

2.  A  direct  quotation ;  as,  "  It  was  the  cat,"  said  the  mouse. 

3.  The  parts  of  dates  and  addresses  :  — 
George  Washington  was  born  Feb.  22,  1732. 
Mr.  Clinton  B.  Stiles,  Auburn,  N.Y. 

4.  Yes  or  no  when  part  of  an  answer ;  as.  Have  you  written 
the  letter  ?     Yes,  I  have  written  it. 

5.  A  series  of  words  or  phrases  in  the  same  construction 
are  separated  from  each  other  by  commas,  unless  all  the  con- 
junctions are  expressed. 

California,  Oregon,  and  Washington  are  Pacific  states. 
They    roamed   over   hills,   through   valleys,   and   across 
swamps. 

V.  The  hyphen  has  two  important  uses :  — 

1.  To  separate  parts  of  a  compound  word ;  as.  Home-keeping 
hearts  are  happiest. 

2.  To  show  at  the  end  of  a  line  that  a  part  of  a  word  is 
carried  over  to  the  next  line. 

VI.  Quotation  marks  are  used  to  inclose  direct  quotations, 
also  the  parts  of  divided  quotations;  as,  "To-morrow,"  ex- 
claimed Joseph,  "  we  play  with  the  Richmonds." 

Single  marks  of  quotation  are  used  to  inclose  a  quotation 
within  a  quotation  ;  as,  Tom  replied,  "  I  have  always  admired 
Captain  Lawrence,  who  said,  *  Don't  give  up  the  ship ! ' " 


INDEX 


Abbreviations,  10 ;  of  names  of  months, 
100  ;  In  superscriptions  of  letters,  104. 

Acceptance  of  invitations,  113. 

Address,  punctuation  in,  08;  of  letters,  104. 

Adjectives,  190,  ll>2 ;  comparison  of,  204, 
2»)5,  206,  207  ;  in  a  series,  220 ;  phrases 
used  like,  220. 

Adverbs,  211,  212;  comparison  of,  218; 
phrases  used  Mice,  229. 

Advertisements,  answering,  by  letter,  100. 

Aprlculture,  compositions  on,  268. 

Ain't,  0(1. 

Aldrich,  Thomas  Bailey,  159. 

Among,  222. 

Analysis  of  sentences,  82. 

Andersen,  H.  C,  31. 

Ant  and  the  Grasshopper,  154. 

Antonyms,  132. 

Apostrophe,  59 ;  and  «  in  certain  plurals, 
167;  use  of,  in  possessive  case,  174,  175, 
281 ;  omitted  from  Hh,  hers,  theirs,  181. 

Applications  for  positions,  110. 

Arbor  Day,  261. 

Barbarossa,  126. 

Be,  142. 

Beecher,  Henry  Ward,  36,  52,  123,  198. 

Bennett,  H.  H.,  24. 

Between,  222. 

Biography.  226,  227. 

Birds,  41. 

Bjornson,  43. 

Blow,  156. 

Bobolink,  84,  87. 

Bodv  of  a  letter,  99,  102. 

Book  I  Like  Best,  90. 

Books,  titles  of,  18. 

Boone,  Daniel,  227. 

Brooks,  Phillips,  93. 

Brownlnjr.  Robert,  8.  228. 

Bryant,  William  Cnllen,  84,  86. 

Business  letters,  98,  107. 

Byron,  Lord,  71. 

Calm,  86. 
Can,  151. 
Capitals : 

Abbreviations,  10. 

First  word  of  line  of  poetry,  11. 

First  word  of  sentence,  9. 

Headings  of  letters,  100. 

Initials,  10. 

Naines  of  Deity,  22. 

Names  of  periods  of  time,  11. 

Names  of  persons,  10. 


Names  of  places,  11. 
Personified  things,  163. 
Keview  of  rules  for,  272. 
Summarv,  94. 
Titles  of  books,  etc.,  10,  18. 
Words  /  and  0,11. 

Catch,  156. 

Character  study,  245,  247. 

Chni'ucteme,  defined,  249. 

Children's,  175. 

Clauses,  2i9,  250  ;  Independent  and  depend- 
ent, 251. 

Coleridge,  8.  T.,  71. 

Colonial  Girl,  A,  248. 

Combining  sentences,  254. 

Comma,  the,  68,  278  ;  In  a  series,  219. 

Command,  defined,  22. 

Commands,  sentences  expressing,  20. 

Common  nouns,  124. 

Comparative  degree,  205. 

Comparison,  of  adjectives,  204,  205;  irregu- 
lar, 207;  of  adverbs.  213. 

Comparisons,  poetic,  213,  214. 

Complements,  144. 

Complex  sentences,  253. 

Composition,  48,  49  ;  exercises  in,  49,  52,  53, 
61,  68,  82,  90,  116,  241,  261  ;  oral  and 
written,  129. 

Compound  sentences,  258. 

Compound  words,  194. 

Conclusion,  of  a  letter,  99.  108;  of  a  story, 
136 ;  of  a  biography,  227. 

Conjunctions,  237  ff. 

Contractions,  59,  60. 

Conversation,  thought-getting  through,  7. 

Conversations,  2,  86,  50,  61,  70,  98,  126,  128, 
138,  159,  162. 

Cornfield,  193. 

Curtis,  George  W.,  248. 

Dandelions,  123. 

Dates,  punctuation  of,  99. 

Debate,  a,  242. 

Declination  of  Invitation,  114. 

Defense  of  Thermo[)ylje,  133. 

Degrees  of  qualltv,  204. 

Deity,  names  of  the,  22. 

Dei>endent  clauses,  251. 

Description,  defined.  95;   exercises  in,  80, 

*?,  43,  162,  232,28.3,  24.'5. 
Diagram  of  business  letter,  107. 
Dictation,  writing  from,  2  ;  exercises  in,  15, 

58,  71,  163,  220. 
Dictionary,  how  to  use,  87. 
Dis,  prefix,  197. 


275 


276 


INDEX 


Divided  quotations,  66. 
Do,  156. 

DoesnH  and  don't,  60. 
Drawing,  5,  50,  52,  53. 

Earthworm,  thie,  50. 
Entreat,  defined,  22. 
Entreaties,  21. 
Er  and  est  endings,  205. 
Exclamation  point,  20,  25,  240,  273. 
Exclamations,  240. 
Exclamatory  sentences,  25. 
Excursion,  an,  7. 
Explaining,  257,  258. 
Explanation,  exercise  in,  158. 
Exposition,  257,  258. 
Expression,  variety  of,  230. 
Expression  by  hand,  5,  7,  30,  50. 

Fables,  5,  6,  12S,  154,  155. 
Fields,  Annie,  64. 
Fields,  James  T.,  17. 
Fishing,  compositions  on,  263. 
Formal  notes,  113. 
Fourth  of  July,  outline,  131. 
Fill,  suffix,  243. 
Fur  Bearers,  46. 

Gardens,  description  of,  30. 

Garland,  Hamlin,  194. 

Gentlemanly  Horse,  The,  206. 

Gessler,  215. 

Give,  156. 

Given  names,  125. 

Go,  156. 

God,  22. 

Going  A-nutting,  240,  241. 

Good  form,  60. 

Grazing,  compositions  on,  263. 

Habit,  20. 

Hnn,  168. 

Have  and  has,  forms  to  be  used  after,  149. 

Tfe,  his,  him,  181,  183. 

Heading  of  a  letter,  99,  100. 

Hearn,  Lafcadio,  209. 

jrei%  hers,  181.  iSS. 

Hercules  and  the  Wagoner,  5. 

Hiawatha,  213. 

History,  little  lessons  in,  54;    composition 

exercise  in,  82. 
History  story,  224. 
Hogg,  James,  185. 
Home  preparations  for  winter,  40. 
Hood,  Thomas,  207. 
Humble  Helpers,  49. 
Hyphen,  the,  193,  273. 

I,  11,  181, 182,  183,  187;  sJiall  or  will  with, 

156. 
If  you  please,  21. 
Imperative  sentences,  20. 
Jn,  im,  il,  ir,  197. 
Tn  and  into,  225,  226. 
Indentation,  28. 
Independent  clauses,  251. 
Initials,  10. 


Insects,  46. 

Interjections,  240. 

Interrogation  point,  18,  272. 

Interrogative  sentences,  18. 

Intransitive  verbs,  145,  146. 

Introduction,  of  a  story,  136 ;  to  a  biography, 

227. 
Inverted  order  in  sentences,  81, 
Invitations,  113. 
Irregular  comparison,  207. 
Irregular  verbs,  149. 
Js,  142, 168, 
Ish,  244. 
It,  183. 
Its,  181. 

Jackson,  H.  H.,  35. 
January,  198. 
Joliet,  201. 

Kennedy,  Howard  Angus,  179. 

Kindly,  21. 

King,  22. 

King  Arthur,  169. 

Kingsley,  Charles,  13,  143. 

Ladybug,  the,  50. 

Earned,  J.  N.,  269. 

La  Salle,  244. 

Lay,  152,  153,  156. 

Lays  of  Ancient  Rome,  261. 

Leading  Industries  of  New  England,  258. 

Learn,  150. 

Lee,  General,  125. 

Legends,  128. 

Leonidas,  133,  134. 

Less,  suffix,  243. 

Less,  least,  207. 

Letter,  a  specimen,  97  ;  parts  of  a,  99 ;  body 
of,  99,  102;  conclusion  of,  99,  103  ;  head- 
ing of,  99,  100  ;  salutation  in,  99,  101  ; 
address  or  superscription,  104. 

Letters,  business  and  friendly,  98. 

Letter  writing,  96,  98 ;  exercises  in,  106, 
111,  114. 

Lie,  lay,  lain,  152. 

Like,  150. 

Local  lore,  bits  of,  61. 

Longfellow,  Henry  W.,  93,  213,  263,  265. 

Lord,  22. 

Loti,  Pierre,  47. 

Loxie,  150. 

Lowell,  James  Russell,  140. 

Lumbering,  compositions  on,  263. 

Macaulay,  T.  B.,  260. 

Magazines,  titles  of,  13. 

Mann,  Horace,  20. 

Manufacture,  compositions  on,  264. 

Margins,  29,  101. 

Marquette,  201. 

May,  151. 

Meaning  of  proverbs,  91. 

Memorizing,  verses  for,  23,  72,  93,  137,  159. 

Memory,  training  the,  260,  261. 

Mental  picturing,  5,  126. 

Mining,  compositions  on,  263. 


INDEX 


211 


Mia,  prefix,  197. 
Modi  Hers,  ISS. 
J/(H/ifi/.  detined,  192. 
Monkfv  and  the  Cats,  ()9. 
Months,  abbreviations  of,  100. 
More,  motst,  '206,  207. 
Morton,  J.  Sterlini?,  261. 
Music  In  poetry,  223. 

Names,  capitals  in,  10,  11 ;  surnames  and 
given  names,  125. 

Narcissa,  235. 

Narration,  28,  95 ;  exercise  in,  138. 

Natural  order  in  sentences,  81. 

Newspapers,  titles  of,  13. 

Notes,  social,  112;  formal,  113;  exercise  in 
writinp,  114. 

Nouns,  122 ;  common  and  proper,  124 ; 
singular  and  i)lural,  164, 165;  thatchange 
to  V  in  plural,  166;  plural,  ending  in  o, 
166 ;  plural,  that  do  not  add  «,  167  ; 
possessive,  174 ;  in  a  series,  219. 

0,U. 

Observation,    thought-getting    through,  8 ; 

and  mental  picturing,  4;    exercises  in, 

50,  59. 
Obsefve,  defined.  5. 
(y-phrase,  281,  232. 
Old  Soldkar,  An,  19. 
Or,  er,  ar,  244. 
Order  in  sentences,  81. 
Outline  of  composition,  making  an,  130. 
Outlines,  writing  from,  34,  89,  116,  181, 185, 

144,  203,  227. 
Orer,  197. 
Ownership,  174,  175,  281. 

Papers,  written,  titles  of,  18. 

Paragraphs,  2S,  95. 

Paragraph  study,  89.  41,  46. 

Paragraph  writing,  41,  177,  256,  258. 

Parts  of  a  sentence.  74. 

Parts  of  speech,  118.  244,  266. 

Payne,  John  Howard,  58. 

Pennsylvania  Farmhouse,  A,  232. 

Period,  10,  11,  15,272. 

Personification,  16:3. 

Phrases,  228  :  prei)ositional,  229  ;  possession 

expressed  bv,  231. 
Picnic  Party,  outline,  131. 
I*icture,  stoVv  suggested  by  a,  57. 
Pictures,  titles  of,  18. 
Pictures  for  study  : 

A  Distinguished  Member  of  the  Humane 
Society,  191. 

Attacked  by  Wolves,  66. 

Autumn,  48. 

Clock  on  the  Stairs,  188. 

Elizabeth,  91. 

End  of  Day,  42. 

House  for  description,  284. 

John  Alden  and  Prlscllla,  66. 

Landscape  with  Mill,  199. 

Ma|)le  tree,  45. 

Oak  tree,  45. 

Patrick's  spUled  Ink,  180, 


Plowing,  82. 

Postman,  117. 

Klalto  and  Grand  Canal,  Venice,  96. 

School  In  Brittany,  14. 

Sliver  Birch  tree,  45. 

Soldier,  19. 

Sparrows,  4. 

Statue  of  King  Arthur  at  Innsbruck,  170. 

The  Fisherman's  Daughter.  257. 

The  Geese  of  the  Capitol,  Frontispiece. 

The  Lookout  ("  All's  Well  "),  16. 

The  Meeting,  62. 

The  Miracle  of  May,  189. 

The  Professor's  Eyeglasses,  88. 

The  IJeadlug  Lesson  —  School  In  Brittany 
147. 

The  Sisters,  73. 

The  Sower,  119. 

The  Sphinx,  89. 

The  Spinner,  246. 

The  Strawberry  Glri,  286. 

Visiting  Day  at  the  Hospital,  186. 

Weeping  Elm  tree,  45. 

William  Tell,  216. 
Picturing,  mental,  5,  126. 
Pierpont,  John,  218. 
Places,  names  of,  11. 
Plan  of  story,  study  of,  136. 
Plan  making,  53. 
PUase,  21. 

Plural  nouns,  164,  165,  166, 167,  174,  175. 
Poems : 

A  Boy's  Song,  185. 

A  Poet's  Call,  265. 

Before  the  Kaln,  169. 

Birds,  1. 

Going  A-nuttlng,  240. 

Helping  the  Shoemaker,  202. 

He  praveth  best,  71. 

Hiawatha,  218. 

Home,  Sweet  Home,  58. 

I  remember,  I  remember,  207. 

Lucv,  247. 

LullabV  for  Tltania,  72. 

May,  137. 

Mt.  Blanc  Is  the  monarch  of  mountains, 
71. 

November,  198. 

October's  Bright  Blue  Weather,  34. 

Puck  and  the  Fairy,  223. 

Robert  of  Lincoln,  84. 

The  Arrow  and  the  Song,  98. 

The  Captain's  Daughter,  17. 

The  Cloud,  161. 

The  Flag  Goes  By,  23. 

The  Throstle,  120. 

The  Tree,  4^3. 

The  Village  Blacksmith.  262. 

The  Vision  of  Sir  Launfal,  140. 

The  Wind,  12. 

Warren's  Address,  218. 
Poems,  patriotic,  218  ;    study  plan  for,  266. 
Poetry,  first  word  of  line  of,  11 ;  word  pic- 
ture In,  198;   comparisons  in,  218,  214; 
music  In,  223. 
Positions,  applications  for,  110. 
Positive  degree,  205, 


278 


INDEX 


Possession,  174,  175,  231. 

Predicate,  74,  75,  79,  80,  81, 140,  141, 189, 190. 

Prefixes,  196. 

Prepositional  phrases,  229. 

Prepositions,  220  flF. 

Pronouns,  180  if.  ;  personal,  182,  183  ;  order 

of,  185. 
Proper  nouns,  124. 
Prose,  and  poetry,   160 ;  word   picture  in, 

198. 
Proverbs,  telling  the  meaning  of,  91. 
Pumpliins,  50. 
Punctuation,  64,  71,  105,  154,  219,  272.    See 

Comma,  Period,  etc. 
Punctuation  marks,  summary,  95. 
Putnam,  Israel,  224. 

Quality,  degrees  of,  204. 
Questions,  sentences  that  ask,  18. 
Quotation  marks,  64,  273. 
Quotations,  punctuation  of,  64,  71 ;  divided, 
66  ;  within  quotations,  182,  273. 

Rain,  exercise  in  explanation,  158. 

Beading,  thought-getting  through,  5 ;  exer- 
cises in,  38,  44,  169,  178,  208  ;  and  men- 
tal picturing,  126. 

Requent,  defined,  22. 

Requests,  21. 

Reuter,  Fritz,  164. 

Reviews,  26,  53,  83,  145,  173,  176,  201,  219, 
231,  272,  273. 

Richards,  Laura  E.,  235. 

Robert  of  Lincoln,  84,  87. 

Ruskin,  John,  2. 

Salutation  of  a  letter,  99,  101. 

School  experience,  a  bit  of,  13. 

See,  156. 

Sentence,  defined,  S ;  exercises,  25,  82,  39  ; 
parts  of  a,  74;  summary,  94. 

Sentences,  making  and  arranging,  13  ;  de- 
clarative, 14;  interrogative,  IS;  impera- 
tive, 20  ;  exclamatory,  25  ;  of  paragraphs, 
28;  order  in,  81;  simple,  82,  252;  word 
work  in,  121 ;  topic,  177  ;  complex,  253; 
compound,  253  ;  combining,  254. 

Sentence  structure,  summary,  267. 

Sentence  study,  9,  52. 

Serene,  36. 

Series,  words  in  a,  219. 

Set,  154. 

Shake,  156. 

Shakespeare,  72,  223. 

Shall,  156,  157. 

She,  181,  183. 

Shelley,  P.  B.,  161. 

Sherman,  Frank  Dempster,  138. 

Sidney,  Sir  Philip,  22. 

Simple  sentences,  82,  252. 

Sing,  156. 

Single  quotation  marks,  182,  273. 

Sit,  154. 

Snail,  the,  49. 

Social  notes,  112. 

Sowing,  118. 


Speak,  156. 

Sphinx,  the,  38. 

Spider,  the,  50. 

Stanza,  12. 

Stedman,  E.  C,  240. 

Stevenson,  R.  L.,  12. 

Stoddard,  E.  H.,  1. 

Stories,  study  plan  for,  266. 

Stories  from   outlines,  84,  49,  89,  116,  135, 

144,  203,  227,  249,  259,  2G0,  263. 
Stories  from  pictures,  19,  57. 
Stories  from  word  sketches,  40,  49,  54,  57. 
Stories  in  verse,  17. 
Stories  to  be  completed,  151,  210. 
Stories  to  be  retold,  22,  64,  224,  259. 
Stories  to  be  studied  : 
An  Interrupted  Journey,  151. 
A  September  Garden,  29. 
A  Swiss  Legend,  215. 
Barbarossa,  126. 
Child's  Plav,  47. 
Five  in  One  Pod,  81. 
General  Lee,  125. 
Hercules  and  the  "Wagoner,  5. 
Hidden  Gold,  26. 
How  Arthur  became  King,  169. 
Little  Sunrise,  178. 
Longfellow  and  "Jack  the  Giant  Killer," 

64. 
Macaulay,  260. 
Narcissa,  235. 
Putnam  and  the  Wolf,  224. 
Sir  Philip  Sidney,  22. 
The  Ant  and  the  Grasshopper,  154. 
The  Apothecary's  Mistake,  163. 
The  Defense  of  Thermopylae,  133. 
The  Earthquake,  208. 
The  Important  Corporal,  67. 
The  Monkey  and  the  Cats,  69. 
The  Old  Soldier,  19. 
The  Patience  of  Madam  How,  13. 
The  Rescue,  210. 
The  Sphinx.  38. 
What  my  Old  Shoe  Told,  203. 
Winter,  52. 
Story-telling,  exercises  in,  26,  81,  144,  151, 

203. 
Story  writing,  89,  91. 
Subject  of  a  sentence,  74,  79,  80,  81 ;  simple 

'and  complete,  189,  190. 
Subjects,  groups  of  words  as,  77. 
Suffixes,  196,  243. 
Summaries,  94. 
Superlative  degree,  205. 
Superscription  of  a  letter,  104. 
Surnames,  125. 
Synonyms,  36,  95,  132,  139,  179,  200. 

Taylor,  Bayard,  233. 

Teach,  150,  156. 

Telegrams,  115. 

Tell,  William,  215. 

Tennyson,  Alfred,  Lord,  113,  121. 

Tenses,  present  and  past,  148. 

That,  181. 

Theirs,  181. 

There,  subjects  in  sentences  with,  168. 


INDEX 


279 


ThinkJnp,  exercise  in,  92. 

TiiinJiiiiK  Match,  91. 

This,  thexe,  192,  193. 

Thoreau.  Henry  D.,  204. 

Those,  192,  193. 

Tiionpht  expression,  2,  8. 

Thouffht-pettinp,  through  observation,  8; 
thronj,'h  reading,  5;  through  conversa- 
tion, 7. 

Thoughts,  beautiful,  2  ;  defined,  3. 

Time,  names  of  periods  of,  11. 

Titles,  10,  12,  13,  48. 

Too,  213. 

Topic  sentence.  177. 

Training  the  memory,  260,  261. 

Tiuinquil,  86. 

Transitive  verbs,  145,  146. 

Tran.sposed  order  in  sentences,  81. 

Trees.  41,  44,  45. 

Two  Famous  Explorers,  201. 

Un,  prefix.  196. 
Use  of  dictionary,  37. 
Uther,  King,  169. 

Variety  of  expression,  230. 

Verb-phrase,  142. 

Verbs,  140  ff. ;  transitive  and  intransitive, 
145,  146  ;  present  and  past  forms  of,  148 ; 
irregular,  149  ;  correct  forms  of,  150.  151, 
152,  15:3.  156;  in  a  series,  220  ;  conjunc- 
tions and,  238. 

Verse,  defined,  11. 

Verses  for  memorizing,  28,  72,  93,  137,  159. 


Very,  212. 
Vocabulary,  87. 

Walli,  a,  7. 

Was,  142.  168. 

Waves  after  a  Storm,  204. 

We,  skull  or  uill  with,  156. 
Weather  Bureau,  the,  262. 
Wheat,  33. 
Whittier,  J.  G.,  202. 

Wfio,  which,  what,  181. 
Wildey,  Thomas,  198. 

Will.  156,  157. 

Window  garden,  description  of,  30. 
Winter,  52. 

Winter  sports,  composition  on,  53. 
Wolf,  the,  57. 

Wood,  written  exercises  on,  44. 
Word  building,  195.  216. 
Word  pictures,  36,  140,  198. 
Words,  compound,  194;  in  a  series,  219. 
Word  studv,  2,  5,  28,  30,  36,  49,  63,  70,  123, 
135,  139,  154,  162,  181,  192,  222,  225,  249. 
Word  worli  in  sentences,  121. 
Wordsworth,  W^illiam,  247. 
W^ork  and  the  Workman,  262. 
W^riting,  proper  forms  in,  10.    See  CompoBl- 
tion.  Letter-writing,  etc. 

Xerxes,  133,  134. 

Y,  suffix.  243. 

Yes  and  no.  273. 

You,  your,  yours,  181,  188. 


CHANCELLOR'S 

GRADED  CITY  SPELLERS 


Tear  by  Year  Edition 

7  Books 

Each,  12mo 

caoth 

Second  Year  Grade    . 

54  pages. 

1 5  cents  net 

Third  Year  Grade 

52  pages. 

15  cents  7tet 

Fourth  Year  Grade    . 

68  pages. 

15  cents  net 

Fifth  Year  Grade 

64  pages. 

15  cents  net 

Sixth  Year  Grade       . 

68  pages. 

18  cents  net 

Seventh  Year  Grade  . 

80  pages. 

18  cents  net 

Eighth  Year  Grade     . 

89  pages. 

18  cents  net 

Two  Book  Edition 

Each,  12mo                 Cloth 

Book  One  —  Second,  Third, 

and  Fourth  Year  Grades, 

166  pages.     25  cents  net 
Book  Two  —  Fifth,  Sixth,  Seventh,  and  Eighth  Year  Grades, 

299  pages.     30  cents  net 


Paper  Cover  Edition 

Second  Year  Grade,  Part  I 
Second  Year  Grade,  Part  II 
Third  Year  Grade,  Part  I  . 
Third  Year  Grade,  Part  II 
Fourth  Year  Grade,  Part  I 
Fourth  Year  Grade,  Part  II 
Fifih  Year  Grade,  Complete 
Sixth  Year  Grade,  Complete 
Seventh  Year  Grade,  Complete 
Eighth  Year  Grade,  Complete 


10  Books 


Each,  12mo 


30  pages. 
28  pages. 
28  pages. 
28  pages. 
36  pages. 
36  pages. 
64  pages. 
68  pages. 
80  pages. 
89  pages. 


6  cents  net 

6  cents  net 

6  cents  net 

6  cents  net 

8  cents  net 

8  cents  net 

12  cents  net 

12  cents  net 

12  cents  net 

1 2  cents  net 


THE    MACMILLAN    COMPANY 

64-66  FIFTH  AVENUE,   NEW  YORK 


BOSTON 


CHICAGO 


ATLANTA 


SAN  FRANCISCO 


CHANCELLOR'S 

GRADED  CITY  SPELLERS 


CHANCELLOR'S  GRADED  CITY  SPELLERS  constitute  the  first 
attempt  to  provide  spelling  lessons  by  grades,  from  the  time  that  the 
spelling  book  is  first  placed  in  the  hands  of  the  pupil  until  the  com- 
pletion of  the  grammar  school  course. 

CHANCELLOR'S  GRADED  CITY  SPELLERS  are  published  in  two 
different  forms,  bound  in  full  cloth,  one  series  being  in  seven  books, 
a  book  for  each  year  from  the  second  to  the  eighth  year  of  the  elemen- 
tary school  course ;  while  the  other  series  consists  of  two  books,  the 
first  volume  grouping  together  the  work  of  the  second,  third,  and  fourth 
years,  and  the  second  volume  embracing  the  work  of  the  fifth,  sixth, 
seventh,  and  eighth  years. 

The  general  plan  of  the  series  includes  a  review  of  drill  words  from 
the  lessons  of  the  preceding  year,  daily  advance  lessons,  the  use  of  all 
important  words  in  suitable  sentences,  frequent  reappearance  in  the 
sentences  of  the  difficult  words,  syllabication  of  all  spelling  words,  and 
systematic  reviews  at  regular  intervals. 

The  words  to  be  learned  are  presented  in  three  diflferent  ways : 

(a)  Alone,  not  syllabicated,  for  recognition  as  they  ordinarily  appear. 

(J?)  Combined  with  other  words  in  sentences,  thus  revealing  the 
significance  of  the  new  words. 

{c)  Syllabicated,  for  the  analysis  of  the  literal  elements. 

The  series  is  rich  in  all  the  ordinary  forms  of  word  study.  Prefixes 
and  suffixes  are  treated  with  clearness  and  completeness.  Synojiytns, 
ho7nonyms^  and  antonyms  are  matters  of  exercise  at  frequent  intervals, 
and  the  various  forms  of  word-building  based  upon  the  relation  of  sterns 
and  roots  are  presented  with  a  fullness  not  surpassed  in  any  other 
spelling  series. 


THE   MACMILLAN   COMPANY 

64-66  FIFTH  AVENUE,  NEW  YORK 
BOSTON  CHICAGO  ATLANTA  SAN  FRANCISCO 


Chancellor's  Graded  City  Spellers 

FEATURES  OF   EXCELLENCE 

As  the  work  progresses  in  the  higher  books  of  the  series,  the  supple- 
mentary matter,  which  indeed  is  a  very  essential  part  of  spelling, 
becomes  more  and  more  valuable.  Abbreviations^  marks,  and  signs 
used  in  correspondence  and  accounts,  maxims  and  proverbs,  proper 
names,  initials,  capitalization,  punctuation,  contracted  forms  —  all  these 
are  found  in  abundant  variety. 

The  lessons  are  constantly  suggestive  of  the  other  studies  in  the 
ordinary  school  course.  The  connection  with  language  work  is  very 
close  throughout  the  series,  and  in  the  higher  books  many  other 
branches  are  introduced  —  a  bit  of  botany  or  some  other  familiar 
science,  a  fact  or  two  of  history,  some  sentences  in  descriptive  geog- 
raphy, a  group  of  wise  sayings  from  Franklin's  writings,  a  definition  or 
two  in  mineralogy.  These  things,  supplemented  by  the  occasional 
longer  selections  in  verse  or  prose,  make  up  a  book  that  becomes  a  real 
golden  treasury  for  each  year. 

In  the  book  for  the  fourth  year  and  all  successive  years,  there  is 
a  review  lesson  on  almost  every  page.  Certain  words  which  have  been 
found  by  experience  most  difficult  for  pupils  to  learn  and  retain  are 
found  ten  or  twenty  times  in  the  course  of  two  or  three  books.  This 
repeated  drill  cannot  fail  to  fix  the  words  beyond  any  possibility  of 
forgetting. 

The  standard  of  spelling  is  Webster  and  the  syllabication  for  pro- 
nunciation is  also  that  of  the  International  Dictionary. 

CHANCELLOR'S  GRADED  CITY  SPELLERS  may  be  used  without 
regard  to  the  method  of  spelling  adopted,  for  they  are  equally  adapted 
to  the  purpose  of  oral,  written,  and  visual  methods.  They  are  prac- 
tical children's  text-books,  not  mere  teachers'  manuals. 

For  the  convenience  of  schools  where  the  grading  is  very  close  or 
where  the  year's  work  is  divided  into  two  grades  the  books  for  the 
second,  third,  and  fourth  years  are  supplied  in  two  parts  for  each  year. 
This  furnishes  a  ten-book  series,  which  is  substantially  bound  in  paper. 


THE    MACMILLAN   COMPANY 

64-66  FIFTH  AVENUE,  NEW  YORK 
BOSTON  CHICAGO  ATLANTA  SAN  FRANCISCO 


Chancellor's  Graded  City  Spellers 


SUMMARY   OF   CONTENTS 


Book  for  2d  year  contains : 

526  drill  words  in  lists. 
165  daily  lessons,  with 
620  new  words  in  sentences. 

Book  for  3d  year  contains  : 

320  drill  words  in  lists. 
1 60  daily  lessons,  with 
800  new  words  in  sentences. 

Book  for  4th  year  contains : 

245  drill  words  in  lists. 

640  words  in  lists  for  review. 

160  daily  lessons,  with 

805  new  words  in  sentences. 

210  homonyms  in  lists. 

Lists      of     abbreviations     and 
contractions. 

Rules  for  punctuation,  etc. 

Book  for  5th  year  contains : 

330  drill  words  in  lists. 

500  words  in  lists  for  review. 

316  homonyms  in  lists. 

100  daily  lessons,  with 

723  new  words  in  sentences. 

List  of  plurals,  rules  for  spell- 
ing, exceptions,  etc. 

Book  for  6th  year  contains  : 

1088  drill  words  in  lists. 
640  words  in  lists  for  review. 
129  daily  lessons. 


19  exercises  in  word-building  (50 
roots). 
620  new  words  in  sentences. 

Lists      of      prefixes,      suffixes, 
abbreviations,  etc. 

Book  for  7th  year  contains : 

1472  drill  words  in  lists. 
600  words  in  lists  for  review. 
128  daily  lessons. 
30  exercises  in  word-building  (70 
roots). 
363  new  words  in  sentences. 
32  sets  of  synonyms  in  sentences. 
176  homonyms. 

Lists  of  prefixes,  suffixes,  proper 
names;     principles    of    capi- 
talization. 
18  pages  of  special  memory  selec- 
tions, etc. 

Book  for  8th  year  contains : 
2040  drill  words  in  lists. 
680  words  in  lists  for  review. 
144  daily  lessons. 
14  exercises  in  word-building  (37 

roots) . 
48  sets  of  synonyms  in  sentences. 
List  of  homonyms,  words  con- 
fused,    plurals ;      rules     for 
spelling ;   tests. 
27  pages  of  special  memory  selec- 
tions, etc. 


THE    MACMILLAN    COMPANY 

64-66  FIFTH  AVENUE,  NEW  YORK 


aOSTON 


CHICAGO 


ATLANTA 


SAN  FRANCISCO 


m  36930 


541-102 


UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA  LIBRARY 


